Pakistan Bombs Kabul, Other Cities as Border Conflict with Afghanistan Escalates, UN Urges Restraint
Pakistan has carried out airstrikes on Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, and two other provinces, marking a sharp escalation in hostilities between the neighbouring countries despite a fragile Qatar-mediated ceasefire signed in 2025.
The strikes followed a cross-border assault late Thursday night, when Afghan forces reportedly attacked Pakistani border troops. The Taliban-led Afghan government described the operation as retaliation for earlier Pakistani air raids that it said caused casualties in border areas.
Conflicting Claims Over Casualties
Explosions were heard in Kabul early Friday, with both sides issuing sharply divergent accounts of the damage and casualties.
Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, stated that coordinated strikes in Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar killed 133 Afghan Taliban officials and wounded more than 200 others. He suggested that additional casualties were possible.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, declared that the country’s armed forces were capable of “crushing” any aggression, while Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif described the situation as “open war,” accusing the Taliban government of harbouring and exporting militant elements rather than promoting regional stability.
In contrast, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence claimed that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in Thursday’s border clashes, with several allegedly captured. It also reported eight Afghan soldiers killed and 11 wounded, and said 19 Pakistani military posts and two bases were destroyed. Pakistani officials denied that any of their troops had been captured.
Ceasefire Under Strain
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The renewed violence casts serious doubt on the durability of the ceasefire brokered in October 2025 by Qatar and Turkey. That agreement had sought to halt months of tit-for-tat clashes along the volatile frontier.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated significantly in recent months. Border crossings have remained largely closed since deadly confrontations in October left more than 70 people dead on both sides.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of failing to rein in militant groups operating from Afghan territory and launching attacks inside Pakistan—allegations the Taliban government denies.
Humanitarian Concerns Mount
The intensifying conflict has heightened fears for civilian safety along the 2,611-kilometre border, commonly known as the Durand Line—a boundary that Afghanistan has never formally recognised.
Afghan authorities reported evacuations at a refugee camp near the Torkham border crossing after 13 civilians, including women and children, were killed and several others wounded. On the Pakistani side, residents in affected areas were also relocated to safer locations, while Afghan refugees awaiting repatriation were moved out of harm’s way.
International Call for Restraint
The United Nations has urged both sides to prioritise civilian protection and pursue diplomatic solutions. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, through his spokesperson, called on Pakistan and Afghanistan to resolve their differences through dialogue and in accordance with international law.
Despite periodic negotiations and mediation efforts, the latest escalation signals that prospects for a lasting settlement remain uncertain as mistrust deepens between the two neighbours.
The situation continues to evolve, with regional and international observers closely monitoring developments amid fears of a broader confrontation in South and Central Asia.
