On February 27, 2026, the long-simmering tensions between Islamabad and Kabul reached a violent tipping point as Pakistan formally declared “open war” against the Afghan Taliban government. This dramatic escalation follows months of deteriorating relations and a surge in cross-border militant activity. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif issued a scathing statement on social media, proclaiming, “Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us,” while accusing the Taliban of “exporting terrorism” instead of focusing on regional stability.
In the early hours of Friday, the Pakistan Air Force launched a massive retaliatory operation, codenamed Operation Ghazab Lil Haq (Righteous Fury). Intelligence-based airstrikes targeted major Taliban strongholds in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia. Explosions were reported near Kabul International Airport around 5:00 AM, and Pakistani officials claim the strikes successfully hit military installations, including the 313 Brigade HQ and multiple ammunition depots.
Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, stated that the strikes were a decisive response to a series of terror attacks on Pakistani soil, including a recent suicide bombing in Islamabad. According to Pakistani military sources, the operation has already resulted in the deaths of over 130 Afghan Taliban combatants and left more than 200 wounded. Tarar emphasized the scale of the damage, claiming that 27 Taliban posts were destroyed and nine others were captured by Pakistani forces.
The Taliban government in Afghanistan has condemned the strikes as a “cowardly” violation of its sovereignty. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that major cities had been hit but initially downplayed the casualty figures, stating there were “no reported casualties” from the aerial bombardment. However, the Taliban quickly moved from rhetoric to action, announcing “large-scale offensive operations” along the shared border in response to what they described as “repeated violations” by the Pakistani military.
The ground conflict has intensified along the Durand Line, the 2,611-kilometer disputed border. Afghan forces claimed to have launched a significant counter-offensive on the night of February 26, asserting they killed 55 Pakistani soldiers and captured several border outposts. While Islamabad dismissed these claims as propaganda, independent reports from the Torkham border crossing indicate heavy gunfire and shelling, signaling that the skirmishes are evolving into a broader conventional conflict.
The humanitarian cost is already mounting. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed “deep alarm” over the strikes, reporting that earlier Pakistani raids on February 21 and 22 had already resulted in the deaths of at least 13 civilians, including women and children. As the two nations abandon a shaky 2025 ceasefire, international mediators from Qatar and Turkey are reportedly scrambling to prevent a full-scale regional war that could destabilize the heart of Asia.
Looking ahead, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed that his forces are “fully capable of crushing any aggressive ambitions.” With both sides hardening their positions and military assets deployed to the front lines, the region faces its most dangerous security crisis in decades. The coming days will be critical in determining whether diplomatic channels can be reopened or if the “open war” will escalate into a prolonged and bloody confrontation.
