Pakistan’s air force carried out airstrikes on Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, and the provinces of Kandahar and Paktika on Friday morning, marking a sharp escalation in months of tit-for-tat fighting along the two countries’ mountainous border.
Casualties have not yet been independently confirmed.
Strikes on Kabul and the southern provinces
Pakistani officials said the operation targeted what they described as militant positions after continued cross-border hostilities. Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar told state television that the strikes were in response to “unprovoked aggression” by the Afghan Taliban and were conducted with precision.
“Pakistan’s armed forces have once again demonstrated that any aggression or hostile designs against the country will be met with an iron hand,” Tarar said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan’s forces are capable of “crushing” their enemies, while Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared the situation amounted to “open war.”
Residents in Kabul reported hearing loud explosions overnight. A man living in the Dashti Barchi area said his house shook violently.
“At first, we thought it was an earthquake,” he said. “Then we heard a loud explosion. When we saw jets overhead, we realized they were Pakistani aircraft.”
He said families rushed outside and remained awake throughout the night in fear.
Taliban response and halted attacks
A Taliban military spokesperson told the BBC that while Afghanistan would retaliate if attacked, it did not intend to initiate clashes.
Sources speaking to the BBC’s Afghan service said Taliban attacks on Pakistan from Kandahar and Helmand had stopped in some areas following the airstrikes, though this has not been independently verified.
The Taliban government has consistently denied allowing Afghan territory to be used to launch attacks against Pakistan and accuses Islamabad of conducting unprovoked strikes that harm civilians.
Months of rising tensions
The latest escalation follows months of hostility between the two countries. A major flare-up in October 2025 was followed by a fragile ceasefire, with Turkey and Qatar attempting mediation.
Negotiations ultimately failed to produce a lasting agreement, with both sides blaming each other for derailing the diplomatic process.
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of supporting anti-Pakistan militants responsible for suicide attacks, including a recent attack at a mosque in Islamabad. Kabul rejects those claims.
International reaction
Global concern is mounting over the renewed violence.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Human Rights Chief Volker Türk have called for immediate de-escalation and adherence to international humanitarian law, particularly the protection of civilians.
UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan Richard Bennett also urged calm, saying “immediate de-escalation is essential.”
Iran has offered to mediate between Islamabad and Kabul, while Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has met his Pakistani counterpart to discuss ways to reduce tensions.
Analysts warn of risks
Despite the sharp rhetoric from Islamabad, analysts told BBC Urdu that it is unlikely the Taliban would engage in a full-scale conventional war with nuclear-armed Pakistan, given the imbalance in military power.
However, the risk of continued cross-border skirmishes remains high.
With diplomacy stalled and military exchanges intensifying, the region faces a volatile moment that could either spiral further or prompt renewed efforts at negotiation.
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