Pakistan and Afghanistan Exchange Deadly Strikes, Escalating Border Conflict
Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan and Afghanistan are locked in an escalating cycle of violence, with both countries conducting airstrikes and claiming significant casualties in recent days. The exchange marks a dangerous turning point in relations, with Pakistan declaring a state of “open war” with its neighbor.
The latest escalation began Thursday night when Afghanistan launched strikes in response to Pakistani attacks targeting alleged training camps and hideouts of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group operating along the border. Islamabad claims these camps were responsible for recent attacks within Pakistan.
Since then, both sides have targeted each other’s military positions. Pakistan’s military, utilizing artillery and air power, reported striking Afghan military installations overnight into Saturday, claiming to have killed over 300 Afghan forces and destroyed numerous posts, tanks, and armored vehicles. Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, detailed the alleged destruction of 102 Afghan posts, the capture of 22, and the destruction of 163 tanks and armored vehicles across 37 locations.
Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry responded Saturday, stating its forces attacked Pakistani military bases in Miranshah and Spin Wam, inflicting heavy casualties and damaging installations. Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated Friday that the attacks on Pakistani targets were “a message that our hands can reach their throats and that we will respond to every evil act of Pakistan,” adding that “Pakistan has never sought to resolve problems through dialogue.”
The conflict is fueling a humanitarian crisis. Hundreds of residents near the Torkham border crossing have fled their homes, and dozens of Afghan refugees waiting at the crossing have been moved to safer locations. One Afghan refugee, Ejaz Ul Haq, stranded near Torkham with his family, said he could not return home due to the fighting, while a Pakistani villager, Guftar, urged both governments to reach a ceasefire, stating ordinary people are bearing the brunt of the conflict.
The Pakistani military has accused the Afghan Taliban government of sheltering the TTP, a claim Kabul denies. Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, a spokesman for the Pakistani army, stated Friday that Afghanistan must “either choose TTP or Pakistan.”
Tensions have been simmering since October, when dozens were killed in border clashes. A Qatari-mediated ceasefire briefly halted the fighting, but subsequent peace talks in Turkey failed to yield a lasting agreement.
International efforts to de-escalate the situation are underway, with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and China offering mediation. Qatar’s minister of state, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, spoke Friday with the foreign ministers of both Afghanistan and Pakistan in an attempt to ease tensions.
The escalating conflict raises concerns about regional stability and the potential for further humanitarian consequences. The situation remains fluid, and the outcome is uncertain.
(Reporting by Associated Press. Abdul Qahar Afghan reported from Kabul, Afghanistan. Riaz Khan and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this story.)