Cross-border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated sharply on Friday after Islamabad said it conducted airstrikes in parts of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia, and Pakistan’s defence minister publicly declared “open war” on Kabul.
In a post on X, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif accused the Taliban-led administration of harbouring militants and failing to bring stability after NATO’s withdrawal. He said Afghanistan had become a haven for global terrorists, was exporting violence, and had denied basic rights to its own people, including curbs on women’s freedoms.
“Asif warned that Pakistan’s patience had run out and invoked the Sufi chant ‘Dama Dam Mast Qalandar,’ saying, ‘Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and you. Pakistan’s army did not come from across the seas. We are your neighbours; we know your ins and outs. Allahu Akbar.'”
Afghan government spokespeople condemned the Pakistani strikes. Zabihullah Mujahid described the attacks as “cowardly” and said there were no reported casualties from the strikes in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia.
Tensions along the Durand Line — the disputed border between the two neighbours — have been rising for months amid Pakistani accusations that militants operate from Afghan soil and Afghan complaints about incursions. The latest exchanges mark one of the sharpest escalations since the Taliban returned to power.
Separately, Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defence said that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory operations along the Durand Line on Thursday, a claim that underscores the sharply conflicting accounts from both sides and the perilous state of relations.
