Kabul: Afghanistan has said it is open to negotiations after Pakistan carried out airstrikes on several major Afghan cities, with Islamabad’s defence minister declaring the two nations to be in “open war” following months of escalating tensions and reciprocal attacks.

According to Al Jazeera, Pakistani forces launched strikes on Friday targeting the Afghan capital Kabul, the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, and other towns. Fighting was also reported along the border, with both sides claiming significant casualties.

Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have deteriorated in recent months, with each accusing the other of carrying out cross-border attacks, fuelling concerns of a broader military confrontation in the region.

Following the airstrikes in parts of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia province, Pakistan formally declared what it described as “open war” against Afghanistan.

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In a post on X, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif accused Afghanistan’s Taliban-led administration of harbouring militants and exporting terrorism.

“After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it was expected that there would be peace in Afghanistan and that the Taliban would focus on the interests of the Afghan people and peace in the region... They gathered all the terrorists of the world in Afghanistan and began exporting terrorism. They deprived their own people of basic human rights. They snatched away the rights that Islam grants to women,” he wrote.

“Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and you. Now it will be ‘Dama Dam Mast Qalandar’. Pakistan's army did not come from across the seas. We are your neighbours; we know your ins and outs. Allahu Akbar,” he added.

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Earlier, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Afghanistan had carried out drone attacks on the cities of Abbottabad, Swabi and Nowshera, according to TOLOnews.

Tarar said Pakistan’s anti-drone systems intercepted and shot down the drones, adding that there were no casualties reported.