In an open war, Pakistan launched overnight air strikes in Afghanistan, heavily bombing major cities including Kabul and Kandahar in what Islamabad said was “strong and effective” retaliation for “unprovoked firing” across the border, killing 133 people.The attack came after Afghanistan claimed it had earlier killed 55 Pakistani soldiers along the Durand Line, the disputed border between the two neighbors.The military escalation appears to push both sides further away from Qatar-brokered peace efforts between the two Islamic countries, casting uncertainty into a fragile understanding.Multiple explosions were heard in Kabul and Kandahar, and locals reported jets flying overhead. Pakistan reportedly used its air force in the attack, while Afghanistan, a landlocked country, does not have its own air force.The Associated Press reported that the Pakistani military carried out air strikes on Afghan military installations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia provinces, allegedly destroying two brigade bases. However, there was no mention of potential casualties.Taliban ammunition facilities also fell within Islamabad’s attack range. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly to the media.Afghanistan said its military launched a cross-border attack into Pakistan late Thursday in retaliation for Sunday’s deadly Pakistani air strikes on the Afghan border. It claimed to have captured more than a dozen Pakistani army posts during the operation.The Pakistani government said Sunday’s airstrikes targeted militants sheltering in the area, said Thursday’s Afghan attack was unprovoked and denied that any military posts had been captured.Officials from both sides spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly to the media.united nations secretary general Antonio Guterres U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said both sides were urged to exercise restraint, calling on both sides to protect civilians in accordance with international law and “continue to seek a diplomatic solution to any differences.”
Afghanistan attacks are retaliatory
“Large-scale offensive operations were launched against Pakistani military bases and military installations along the Durand Line in response to repeated insurgencies and rebellions by the Pakistani Army,” Mujahid said in a post on Thursday night. The Afghan Defense Ministry said the retaliatory attacks occurred along the border in six provinces.The 2,611-kilometer (1,622-mile) border between the two countries is known as the Durand Line, which Afghanistan has not officially recognized.
Casualty figures vary
Casualty figures on both sides were vastly different.The Afghan Defense Ministry said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed, some bodies were brought back to Afghanistan and “several others were captured alive”. Eight Afghan soldiers were reported dead and 11 wounded. The Defense Ministry said it destroyed 19 Pakistani army posts and two bases, adding that the fighting ended at midnight, about four hours after the attack began.However, Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Talal said that two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three others were injured. He said 36 Afghan militants were killed. In a post on X, he said Pakistan was responding “strongly and effectively” to what he called unprovoked firings in Afghanistan.Mosharraf Ali Zaidi, spokesman for Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, denied that any Pakistani soldiers had been captured. Subsequently, he claimed in another post on X that at least 133 Afghan militants were killed and more than 200 injured, and claimed that 27 Afghan posts were destroyed and 9 militants were captured. He did not specify where the casualties occurred, but added that “further casualties are expected from attacks on military targets in Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar.”“
Refugee camp attacked
Both sides also reported exchanges of gunfire near the Torkham border crossing.Qureshi Badron, head of the Torkham Information and Public Awareness Committee, said Afghan authorities began evacuating a refugee camp near Torkham after several refugees were injured. The Defense Ministry said 13 civilians, including women and children, were injured in the missile attack on the camp.On the Pakistani side, police said residents were being moved to safer areas. Afghan refugees awaiting return to Afghanistan were also resettled. Since October 2023, Pakistan has carried out a massive crackdown on immigrants, expelling hundreds of thousands of people.Pakistani police said mortars fired from Afghanistan landed in nearby villages, but no civilian casualties were reported.“Pakistan will take all necessary measures to ensure the integrity of its territory and the safety of its citizens,” Pakistan’s Information Ministry posted on X.Video released by the Afghan military showed military vehicles driving at night, accompanied by heavy gunfire. The footage could not be independently confirmed.
months of tension
Tensions between the two neighbors have been high for months. Deadly border clashes in October left dozens of soldiers, civilians and suspected militants dead. After the bombing in Kabul, Afghan officials blamed Pakistan for the violence. Islamabad responded by launching attacks on militant hideouts in Afghanistan.A Qatar-brokered ceasefire has largely held, but sporadic fighting continues. Several rounds of peace talks in November failed to reach a formal agreement.On Sunday, the Pakistani military launched an attack along the Afghan border, claiming to have killed at least 70 militants.Afghanistan denies the claims and says dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed. The Defense Ministry said “multiple civilian areas” in eastern Afghanistan were hit, including a religious school and several homes, saying the attacks violated Afghanistan’s airspace and sovereignty.Pakistan has seen a surge in militant violence in recent years, with Islamabad blaming much of it on the Taliban in Pakistan (TTP) and banning the Baloch separatist group. Although the TTP is separate from the Afghan Taliban, it is closely allied with it. Pakistan accuses the TTP of operating in Afghanistan, a charge both the group and Kabul deny.
