Pakistan bombs Kabul after deadly border clashes with Taliban
Pakistan said on Friday that it had killed 228 Taliban fighters in a series of air strikes on Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
Multiple locations in Kabul were bombed by Pakistan after what Islamabad described as an unprovoked attack by the Taliban across different parts of the border between the two countries.
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar posted on X: “Afghan Taliban defence targets were targeted in Kabul, Paktia [province] and Kandahar.”
A Taliban spokesperson confirmed that Pakistan’s jets attacked Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar in Afghanistan, adding that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 19 military posts seized.
Gunfire and shelling have been reported near the key Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the AFP news agency reported.
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The report said that shelling was heard near the crossing on Friday morning. AFP reported Afghan soldiers were heading towards the frontier.
Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of sheltering Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan fighters responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies.
The dispute has fuelled recurring border clashes, air strikes and periodic closures at the Torkham crossing, alongside tensions over the presence of millions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, many of whom Islamabad has sought to repatriate.
Build-up of tensions
Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities said they had launched attacks against Pakistan’s military positions in response to Pakistani air strikes last week.
Armed forces of both countries exchanged fire along their border, with each claiming to have inflicted casualties.
The development comes after days of escalating hostilities, as relations between the countries have been on the decline for months.
“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.
The media office of Afghanistan’s military corps in the east said the operation was “in response to the recent air strikes carried out by Pakistani forces in Nangarhar and Paktia” provinces.
Pakistan's defence minister, Khawaja Asif, said on Friday that his country’s “patience has run out” with the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan and that Islamabad would now be waging “open war”.
He accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authority of gathering “terrorists”, “exporting terrorism” and serving as a proxy for India.
India’s external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal condemned the Pakistani military action.
“India strongly condemns Pakistan’s air strikes on Afghan territory that have resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children, during the holy month of Ramadan,” Jaiswal said.
“It is another attempt by Pakistan to externalise its internal failures,” he said.
Tensions between Pakistan and India remain high over Kashmir, which both claim in full but control in part, and which has been the cause of multiple wars and frequent ceasefire violations.
Islamabad has accused New Delhi of backing militant activity in Afghanistan, a claim India rejects.
International concern
The United Nations and countries including China, Russia and Iran have urged restraint, warning that further escalation risks civilian harm and wider instability.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday urged both nations to adhere strictly to their obligations under international law.
In a statement delivered by his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, Guterres underscored the "urgent need" for both parties to prioritise the protection of civilians as confrontations continue.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the two countries to resolve their differences through dialogue.
Araghchi, in a post on X, said that Iran is ready to provide any necessary assistance to facilitate constructive dialogue between Kabul and Islamabad.
Both Russia and China have offered to mediate and urged the warring parties to halt cross-border attacks immediately.
Russia's foreign ministry said it was ready to mediate if both sides agree to resolve their differences through diplomatic means, RIA news agency reported.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, said that Beijing is willing to play a constructive role in cooling the situation, adding that it is deeply concerned about escalation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
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