Pakistan Taliban conflict escalated dramatically on Friday as Pakistan launched air strikes on Kabul and other Afghan cities, marking the most serious military confrontation between the neighbors in recent months. The attacks prompted Islamabad to declare what it described as “open war” against the Taliban authorities, signaling a dangerous shift in regional dynamics.
According to Al Jazeera, jets struck targets in the Afghan capital at approximately 1:50 a.m. local time. Residents reported loud explosions and anti-aircraft fire cutting across the night sky. Explosions were also reported in Kandahar and Paktia provinces.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif posted on X that Islamabad’s “patience has run out” and warned that “it is now open war between us and you.” He accused the Taliban of acting as “a proxy for India” and of permitting armed groups to operate from Afghan soil against Pakistan.
The Pakistani military named the operation “Ghazab Lil Haqq,” stating that the strikes targeted Taliban defense installations in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia. Mosharraf Zaidi, spokesperson for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reported that 133 Taliban fighters were killed, more than 200 were wounded, nine positions were captured, and 27 destroyed. Independent verification of these figures was not immediately available.
The Taliban rejected Pakistan’s account. Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid acknowledged the strikes in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia but reported no casualties in the capital. Afghan officials also confirmed that eight Afghan soldiers were killed and 11 wounded in border clashes preceding the strikes.
The attacks followed Taliban assaults on Pakistani military posts along the 2,611-kilometer border late Thursday. Kabul described these incursions as retaliation for Pakistani air strikes over the previous weekend, which it said killed at least 18 people. The United Nations has reported that at least 13 civilians were killed in prior bombardments.
Heavy exchanges of fire were reported near the Torkham crossing, a key trade route linking the two nations. Journalists on the ground in Kabul and Kandahar described the sound of jets and artillery fire, while Afghan troops mobilized toward the border. On the Pakistani side, authorities in Bajaur district reported that a mortar shell from Afghanistan struck a house, injuring five people, including two children and a woman.
This escalation is the latest chapter in months of tension linked to attacks by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an armed group distinct from the Afghan Taliban. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Kabul of harboring TTP fighters, a claim denied by Taliban authorities. Data shared by the Pakistani military with CNN indicates that militant attacks in 2025 resulted in over 1,200 deaths, including civilians and security personnel. This represents a doubling of fatalities compared with 2021, when the Taliban regained power following the U.S. and NATO withdrawal.
Military analysts highlight the imbalance of forces in the region. Pakistan’s active armed forces number approximately 660,000, supported by nearly 300,000 paramilitary and police units. By contrast, Taliban forces are estimated at fewer than 200,000 personnel and operate without a modern air force, relying instead on light aircraft and drones. This disparity informs both the strategic calculations and risks of escalation along the border.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai urged unity in Afghanistan, writing on X that Afghans would “defend their beloved homeland with complete unity” and calling on Pakistan to pursue “good neighborliness, respect, and civilised relations.” International actors have similarly called for restraint. The United Nations urged both sides to uphold international humanitarian law and protect civilians. Iran and Russia offered to mediate, while Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. envoy to Afghanistan, warned of a “terrible dynamic that must stop.”
The Pakistan Taliban conflict unfolds amid deeper social and legal transformations in Afghanistan. In January, Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada signed a decree introducing a legal framework that divides society into social categories and differentiates punishments based on status. Afghan rights group Rawadari said the regulation references “free persons” and “slaves” and grants husbands authority to enforce certain penalties.
UN Women noted that the decree removes equality between men and women before the law and reinforces male authority over wives. The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security stated that the regulation effectively legalizes forms of violence and discrimination against women. Since 2021, Taliban restrictions have curtailed girls’ education, limited women’s employment, and restricted their public presence, prompting international observers to describe the conditions as gender-based apartheid.
Diplomatic contacts between Islamabad and Kabul have continued in recent months, including talks in Doha, Istanbul, and Riyadh. The sudden escalation underscores both the fragility of these negotiations and the wider regional stakes. Analysts warn that continued conflict along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border risks destabilizing trade, migration, and security across South and Central Asia.
The Pakistan Taliban conflict now stands at a critical juncture. The combination of cross-border strikes, domestic insurgent activity, and evolving Taliban governance highlights the complexity of maintaining stability in a region long defined by competing political, military, and social pressures.
