Pakistan declared "open war" on the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan following Afghan strikes on Thursday, leading to retaliatory Pakistani bombings in Kabul and other major Afghan cities overnight. This escalation stems from a long-simmering conflict primarily concerning Pakistan's accusation that the Afghan Taliban is harboring members of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Key points
- Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif stated, "Our patience has reached its limits. It is now open war between us and you."
- Pakistan launched Operation "Just Wrath" involving air and ground strikes targeting Afghan defense sites in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia province.
- The immediate trigger was Afghan offensive attacks on Pakistani border posts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Thursday.
- The Taliban claimed to have captured 15 Pakistani outposts and killed "dozens" of soldiers in their offensive.
- Pakistan claims to have killed 133 TTP fighters and wounded 200 in its retaliatory strikes, while the Taliban claims 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed.
Why it matters
This marks a significant and dangerous military escalation between the two neighbors, moving beyond previous targeted strikes against the TTP to direct confrontation with the Taliban regime itself. International bodies like the UN and Russia have called for de-escalation and diplomacy.
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