Missiles, mortar fire and warplanes lit up the sky along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border this week, as both sides traded deadly attacks.
Pakistan’s defense minister said the fighting now amounts to “open war” with the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan. The clashes mark the latest spike in tensions between the two neighbors.
The violence began after Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan, saying it was targeting militant camps. Afghan officials said at least 18 people were killed in earlier strikes. In response, Taliban forces launched attacks on Pakistani border posts late Thursday, Kabul said.
Pakistan then announced a new military campaign called “Operation Ghazab Lil Haqq,” or “Operation Righteous Fury.” Airstrikes were reported in the Afghan capital Kabul, as well as in the provinces of Paktia and Kandahar. Taliban officials said 19 civilians were killed and 26 others injured in the latest strikes. Pakistan said it destroyed dozens of Taliban positions and killed hundreds of fighters.
The conflict centers in part on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistan accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers of sheltering the group, which has carried out attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies backing the TTP but says it wants a peaceful solution through talks.
The border between the two countries, called the Durand Line, stretches about 2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles) and has long been disputed. Fighting has broken out several times in recent years. The deadliest recent flare-up happened last October, before a fragile ceasefire was reached.
Pakistan has one of the region’s strongest militaries and is a nuclear-armed state. Afghanistan’s Taliban forces are smaller and lack a modern air force but have years of battlefield experience.
For now, both sides say they are defending themselves. But with strong words and heavy weapons in play, the risk of a wider war remains real.
