Tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border escalated further on Friday as gunfire and artillery shelling were reported near the strategically vital Torkham border crossing, one of the busiest and most significant transit points between the two countries.
Pakistan’s Air Force has launched a series of strikes targeting military infrastructure across multiple locations inside Afghanistan, including the capital Kabul and the southern city of Kandahar. The operation appears to be ongoing, with reports indicating that Pakistani aircraft remain active over Kandahar as the situation continues to unfold.
Islamabad has characterized the military action as a direct response to what it describes as an unprovoked act of aggression by the Afghan Taliban, with Pakistani officials declaring this an “open war.”
The language used signals a significant and dangerous shift in tone, suggesting that Pakistan is no longer willing to absorb cross-border attacks without delivering a forceful military response.
Here are the latest developments
- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stated that Pakistan has “always sought peace” while making it clear that the country’s “armed forces will firmly confront any aggression” directed against it.
- A spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban confirmed that Pakistani fighter jets carried out strikes targeting multiple locations, including Kabul, Paktia, and Kandahar.
- Pakistan’s Prime Minister Office has reported that 133 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed in the strikes with over 200 others sustaining injuries.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged both Islamabad and Kabul to step back from hostilities and settle their ongoing disputes through dialogue, emphasizing the principles of good neighbourly relations.
- Russia’s foreign ministry echoed similar sentiments, calling on both Pakistan and Afghanistan to immediately bring cross-border attacks to a halt and pursue a diplomatic resolution to their differences.
- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also weighed in, appealing to both nations to exercise restraint and urging them “to continue to seek to resolve any differences through diplomacy” rather than through military force.
