Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have sharply escalated following cross-border airstrikes and retaliatory ground operations along the disputed Durand Line. The confrontation is being described as one of the most serious flare-ups in recent months.
According to Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government, Pakistani air raids targeted areas including Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed the strikes caused no civilian deaths. In response, Afghan forces reportedly launched counter-operations beginning February 26, during Ramadan, targeting Pakistani military positions along the border.
Afghan officials say they destroyed two Pakistani bases and 19 outposts, claiming at least 55 Pakistani troops were killed and military equipment was seized. Pakistan, however, has rejected these casualty figures.
Islamabad responded with a military campaign named “Ghazab Lil Haq,” targeting Taliban positions in border regions such as Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram, and Bajaur. Pakistani authorities claimed that 133 Taliban fighters were killed and more than 200 injured. Afghan officials acknowledged that eight of their fighters were killed and 11 wounded. They also reported that 13 civilians, including women and children, were injured in a missile strike on a refugee camp in Nangarhar.
Clashes also spread to the Torkham border crossing, a crucial trade route between the two countries. Fighting in the area led to evacuations of refugee settlements on the Afghan side and relocations in nearby Pakistani areas.
The violence comes amid Pakistan’s intensified crackdown on undocumented Afghan migrants, which began in late 2023. The renewed hostilities have raised concerns about broader regional instability if diplomatic efforts fail to ease tensions.
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