Escalating Tensions: Pakistan Launches Airstrikes on Afghan Cities Following Taliban Retaliation

Pakistan's Airstrikes on Afghanistan

On Friday, Pakistan conducted airstrikes on various Afghan cities, including the capital, Kabul, as reported by a news agency.

This military action occurred shortly after the Afghan Taliban launched a counterattack on Pakistani border posts.

The Taliban stated that their assault on these outposts was a response to deadly airstrikes carried out by Pakistan on the previous Sunday.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Afghan government, indicated that the airstrikes targeted areas in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia province, but he noted that there were no reported casualties.

Residents of Kabul and Kandahar reported hearing explosions and the sound of jets overhead for about two hours.

Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, was quoted as saying that the two nations are now in a state of 'open war,' asserting that their patience has been exhausted.

Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban-led Afghanistan have deteriorated significantly in recent months, particularly after border clashes in October that resulted in over 70 fatalities on both sides. Since then, their shared land border has remained largely closed.

Islamabad has accused the Afghan Taliban of failing to take action against militant groups that allegedly operate from Afghan territory and conduct attacks within Pakistan. The Taliban has refuted these allegations.

Despite several rounds of negotiations, primarily facilitated by Qatar, following an initial ceasefire, a lasting peace agreement has yet to be achieved.

Recent clashes along the border have resulted in numerous soldier casualties, according to reports from both sides.

On Thursday night, Mujahid announced that the Taliban was undertaking 'large-scale offensive operations' along the border in response to ongoing violations by the Pakistani military.

Shortly thereafter, he claimed that several Pakistani military posts had been seized, asserting that many enemy soldiers had been killed, wounded, or captured during the confrontations.

However, the Pakistani Prime Minister's office denied any reports of its soldiers being captured.

The Afghan defense ministry reported that eight of its soldiers had died in the recent fighting.