Islamabad, Feb 27: Pakistan unleashed airstrikes on major Afghan cities including Kabul on Friday, with its Defence Minister announcing the neighbors are now in “open war” after months of escalating border clashes.
Journalists from International News Agency in Kabul and Kandahar reported hearing explosions and jets roaring overhead as Pakistan hit the Afghan capital and the Taliban’s southern stronghold.
The strikes followed an Afghan attack on Pakistani border troops Thursday night (Feb 26), retaliation for Islamabad’s earlier raids. Tensions have nosedived lately—land borders mostly closed since October’s deadly fighting that killed over 70 on both sides.
Pakistan blames Afghanistan for not curbing militants launching attacks inside its borders; the Taliban denies it. Qatar and Turkey brokered an initial ceasefire with talks, but no lasting deal emerged.
Both sides claim dozens of enemy soldiers killed in the latest violence, building on recent Pakistani strikes and frontier skirmishes.
“Pakistani forces targeted Taliban defense sites in Kabul, Paktia province, and Kandahar,” Information Minister Attaullah Tarar posted on X. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif ramped it up: “Our patience is exhausted. It’s open war between us now.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif backed his military, saying they have “full capability to crush any aggressive ambitions.”
