Pakistan bombed Taliban government forces in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul and the southern city of Kandahar overnight, in what its defence minister described as “open war” — marking the first time Islamabad has directly targeted its former allies.
“Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and you,” Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Friday.
The strikes, involving air-to-ground missiles, also hit Paktia province, according to Pakistani security sources, who said the targets included Taliban military offices and posts. Ground clashes erupted in multiple sectors along the countries’ 2,600-kilometre frontier.
The Taliban said it launched retaliatory drone strikes on Pakistani military installations. Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar attributed the drone attacks to Pakistani Taliban militants rather than the Afghan government, adding that all drones were brought down with no casualties.
Both sides reported heavy losses, with figures that Reuters could not independently verify. A Pakistani government spokesperson said 133 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed and more than 200 wounded. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed, while eight Taliban fighters and 13 civilians were also among the casualties.
A Kabul taxi driver, Tamim, described being woken by the sound of aircraft before bombs struck what appeared to be a nearby weapons depot. “Everyone, in panic, ran down from the second floor of the house. The ammunition inside the depot kept exploding on its own,” he said. Reuters witnesses in the capital reported ambulance sirens following loud blasts and the sound of jets.
The strikes represent a stark rupture in relations between the two Islamic neighbours, driven by Pakistan’s longstanding accusation that Afghanistan harbours militants carrying out cross-border attacks. The Taliban has denied the charge, insisting Pakistan’s security situation is an internal problem.
Pakistan launched air strikes earlier this week that it said targeted camps of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State militants in eastern Afghanistan. The United Nations and Kabul said those strikes killed 13 civilians.
Russia, China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are attempting to mediate, according to diplomats and news reports. Iran, which borders both countries, has also offered to help broker a resolution.
Pakistan is nuclear-armed with vastly superior conventional military capabilities, though the Taliban are seasoned guerrilla fighters hardened by decades of conflict against US-led forces before retaking power in 2021.
(Reuters)
