Sudden Escalation Along the Border
After months of relative calm, Pakistan and Afghanistan have seen a sharp surge in violence along their 2,600-kilometre shared frontier. Early Friday, Pakistan launched airstrikes on Kabul and other Afghan cities, declaring “open war” following Taliban attacks on Pakistani border positions.
Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Islamabad’s patience had “run out” after cross-border incidents the night before. The military’s Operation Ghazab lil Haq, or “Righteous Fury,” reportedly killed 133 Taliban fighters and targeted key installations in Kabul and Kandahar, where Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada resides. Afghan Taliban officials confirmed strikes across three provinces and reported retaliatory attacks on Pakistani positions, with eight Afghan soldiers killed so far.
Roots of the Conflict
The longstanding tension centers on Pakistan’s claim that the Taliban harbours Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants inside Afghanistan, who launch attacks across the border. The TTP, formed in 2007, aims to overthrow the Pakistani government and enforce its interpretation of Islamic law, carrying out over 1,000 violent incidents in Pakistan during 2025.
Although formally separate, the TTP shares ideological and social ties with the Afghan Taliban. Pakistan views Kabul’s failure to act decisively against the group as a major security threat. The Balochistan Liberation Army has also stepped up activity in Pakistan’s border provinces, compounding the tension. Meanwhile, the Durand Line remains a contentious boundary that Afghanistan has never formally recognised, claiming it unfairly divides the Pashtun population.
Regional Politics and the India Factor
Analysts suggest that Pakistan’s frustration also stems from the Taliban’s perceived closeness to India. Defence Minister Asif accused the Taliban of turning Afghanistan into “a colony of India,” warning that Pakistan would not tolerate a disregard for its security concerns.
Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Pakistan has conducted multiple airstrikes inside Afghanistan, including high-profile raids on Kabul in 2025. Although a Qatar-mediated ceasefire held for several months, intermittent clashes have continued, and recent peace talks failed to produce a formal agreement. With both sides now exchanging heavy blows again, the risk of a wider war looms over the region.
