Pakistan Declares 'Open War' and Bombs Kabul, Kandahar

Pakistan-Afghanistan strikes

Pakistan and Afghanistan sharply escalated into direct cross-border warfare after Pakistan launched air and ground strikes on multiple Afghan cities, including Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia. Islamabad's defence establishment framed the confrontation as an 'open war'. Pakistani officials described the operations as hitting Taliban military offices, posts and installations and said the strikes followed cross-border attacks on Pakistani positions.

Witnesses and reporters in Kabul and Kandahar heard jets, loud blasts and prolonged gunfire. International and regional outlets reported that Pakistan presented the action as a decisive response after months of tit-for-tat exchanges and failed ceasefire talks.

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Pakistan's campaign casualty claims

Islamabad gave its campaign a name and released casualty and damage claims that vary widely across official statements and media reports. Pakistani officials and state outlets described the operation with figures such as hundreds of Taliban fighters killed and dozens of posts destroyed or captured; different outlets cited Pakistani claims ranging from roughly 133 fighters killed with more than 200 wounded to far larger tallies reported by other Pakistani sources. At the same time, independent and foreign outlets noted that several of Pakistan's numerical claims were reported incompletely or could not be independently verified.

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Afghan-Pakistan border claims

Taliban and Afghan authorities rejected or disputed many Pakistani assertions and said they launched counter‑operations. The two sides traded sharply different casualty and capture claims that reporters and independent monitors said could not be independently corroborated. The Taliban confirmed Pakistani strikes in multiple provinces but denied suffering Kabul casualties in some reports.

The Taliban announced "large‑scale offensive operations" at the border and accused Pakistan of striking civilian targets. Afghan defence officials reported ground offensives against Pakistani positions.

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Civilian harm from strikes

Civilians were caught in the fighting, and U.N. and aid sources warned of humanitarian harm. Reports and U.N. statements linked Pakistani strikes in eastern provinces to civilian deaths and injuries, particularly in Nangarhar and Paktika, and witnesses said shelling and mortar fire hit a returnee/refugee camp near the Torkham crossing, forcing families to flee. Multiple outlets and the U.N. urged protection of civilians and cautioned that verified casualty totals remained contested.

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Calls for restraint and mediation

Regional and international actors called for restraint and offered mediation as fears grew that the confrontation could become protracted and destabilising. The U.N. secretary‑general and multiple countries urged immediate protection for civilians and diplomacy. Regional powers including Russia, China, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia were reported to be attempting to mediate, and Iran offered assistance.

The clash was marked by the first Pakistani strikes on Taliban government facilities in major cities. Analysts and officials warned the clash could have longer‑term consequences for stability between the two nuclear‑armed neighbours and across South Asia.

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