Pakistan has now declared “open war” against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, with both sides claiming that hundreds have been killed as fighting between the two nations reaches its most critical state in years.
The latest escalation along the Durand Line, Pakistan and Afghanistan’s shared border, has erupted into further chaos following weeks of fighting.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif says that it is now “open war” between the two countries, with reports of explosions being heard in Kabul.
Hours earlier, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), Zabihullah Mujahid, said that Afghanistan was carrying out “large-scale offensive operations” against Pakistani military positions along the Durand Line.
Reports of casualties vary on both sides, with Pakistan claiming it has killed 274 Afghan fighters, whereas Afghanistan claims that they have killed 55 Pakistani soldiers whilst only eight of their soldiers died during the attacks.
These figures have not been verified by any independent media as of yet.
Early on Friday, Pakistan had launched air strikes on Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, as well as strikes on Kandahar and Paktia.
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The Pakistani military claim that the attacks were targeting Taliban military installations, with the declaration of “open war” marking the most serious military conflict between the two neighbours in years.
The strikes came hours after Afghan forces had launched a cross-border operation on Pakistani military positions in six border provinces late on Thursday. Kabul claimed that 19 outposts were captured.
Pakistan has acknowledged that two of their soldiers have been killed, not the 55 which Afghan sources claim, dismissing the other claims as “propaganda”.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared that Pakistan’s patience was now exhausted: “Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and you,” he wrote on social media.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also warned that there would be “no leniency” in Pakistan’s response.
The rise in tensions and military activity has fuelled the border clashes and air strikes, and led to the periodic closures of the Torkham border crossing, which has long been a source of tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan over the millions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Islamabad has on multiple occasions sought to return many of these refugees to Afghanistan.
Build-up of tensions
The recent rise in tensions follows a pattern of years of back-and-forth activity on the Durand Line, which in recent months and throughout 2025 has seen various intense periods of fighting.
Afghan authorities said that they had launched attacks last week against Pakistan’s military positions in response to military air strikes.
Tensions between the two countries had been on the decline for months, but now are in the most serious state they have been in years, with foreign nations now involving themselves to achieve a peace deal.
“In response to repeated provocations and violations by Pakistani military circles, large-scale offensive operations have been launched against Pakistani military positions and installations along the Durand Line,” Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid wrote in a post on X, referring to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border line.
Peacekeeping efforts
The United Nations and countries such as China, Russia, and Iran have all urged the two neighbours to restrain their activity to avoid further civilian deaths and wider regional instability.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern over the cross-border clashes.
Guterres’ spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said: “He [Guterres] urges the relevant parties to comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and to ensure the protection of civilians.”
In October, heavy gun battles raged on the border between the two countries following similar attacks by Pakistan on positions inside Afghanistan.
Dozens were reportedly killed in the fighting, with rival sides providing their own casualty counts.
Those clashes ended with a tentative ceasefire that same month after the worst fighting since Islamic Emirate forces ousted the US occupation in 2021.
Pakistan and Afghanistan share a 1,600-mile (2,574 km) mountainous border.
This latest attack on Afghanistan by Pakistan raises the possibility of similar border clashes as the IEA leadership looks to retaliate to what it sees as flagrant violations of its sovereignty.
The IEA has long denied Islamabad’s accusations of providing support or a sanctuary for the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan group.
