A sharp escalation along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border has triggered fresh airstrikes and retaliatory operations, with both sides reporting heavy casualties and military damage
Islamabad: A new round of cross-border strikes between Afghanistan and Pakistan has significantly heightened tensions, with airstrikes reported in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia hours after Afghan forces claimed to have attacked targets inside Pakistan.
Afghanistan’s government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistan carried out airstrikes early Friday in Kabul and two southern provinces. According to Associated Press, at least three explosions were heard in Kabul, though there was no immediate confirmation of casualties or exact targets.
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Pakistani security officials, speaking anonymously to AP, said their forces targeted Afghan military facilities in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia, claiming two brigade bases were destroyed. No casualty figures were officially confirmed.
Why Afghanistan says it struck first
Afghanistan’s Taliban-led administration said its cross-border assault late Thursday was retaliation for earlier Pakistani airstrikes along Afghan border regions. Mujahid described the action as a response to “repeated” attacks by Pakistan’s military along the Durand Line.
Kabul claimed its forces attacked Pakistani military bases across six border provinces, saying the fighting lasted around four hours. Afghan officials reported 55 Pakistani soldiers killed, 19 posts destroyed and several soldiers captured.
Pakistan rejects claims
Islamabad rejected Kabul’s account. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said only two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three injured, while dozens of Afghan fighters were killed. Pakistan also denied that any of its soldiers had been captured.
Mosharraf Ali Zaidi, spokesperson for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, said Pakistan delivered a “strong and effective response” and that no Pakistani posts were seized. Later statements from Islamabad claimed over 100 Afghan fighters were killed and multiple posts destroyed.
None of the casualty figures from either side have been independently verified.
Why the Durand Line remains volatile
The 2,611-kilometre Durand Line has long been disputed. Afghanistan has never formally recognised the border, and the rugged terrain has frequently witnessed clashes, militant activity and cross-border accusations.
Recent hostilities follow Pakistani claims that it targeted Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State-linked facilities in eastern Afghanistan — claims Kabul denies. Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of violating its sovereignty by striking civilian areas.
A Qatar-mediated ceasefire last year reduced large-scale fighting but failed to resolve underlying tensions. The latest escalation threatens that fragile truce and raises fears of broader instability in the region.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari said the country “will not compromise on peace and territorial integrity,” describing the armed forces’ response as “comprehensive and decisive.”
With both sides issuing sharply conflicting accounts, the situation along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border remains tense and fluid.
(With AP inputs)
Published: 27 Feb 2026, 07:51 am IST
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