Islamabad/Kabul, 27 February (H.S.): Pakistan has plunged into unprecedented open conflict with the Afghan Taliban government, declaring open war after launching airstrikes on Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia province in retaliation for Afghan incursions, officials confirmed Friday. The escalation, rooted in months of simmering border tensions, risks unraveling fragile ceasefires and drawing in regional powers.

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif announced the rupture on X, stating, Our patience has reached its limit. Now it is open war between us and you. The strikes followed Afghan forces' late-Thursday assault on Pakistani border posts, which Kabul described as reprisal for Islamabad's airstrikes last Sunday targeting alleged militant hideouts.

Afghanistan's defense ministry reported capturing over a dozen Pakistani army posts during its offensive, though Pakistan dismissed these claims as fabricated. Eight Afghan soldiers died in the clashes, per Kabul's account.

Explosions rocked Kabul early Friday, with Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirming Pakistani airstrikes also hit Kandahar and Paktia. Civilian casualties mounted near the Torkham crossing, where a mortar wounded seven refugees, including one woman in serious condition, said Nangarhar province official Qureshi Badlun.

The frontier, sealed since October skirmishes but partially open for Afghan returnees from Pakistan, has become a flashpoint. Qatar-brokered truces now hang by a thread amid mutual accusations of provocation.

Pakistan's military touted Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, targeting Taliban defence targets. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar detailed on X the destruction of two brigade headquarters in Kabul, a corps and brigade HQ in Kandahar, plus an ammo depot and logistics base there, and another corps HQ in Paktia. State broadcaster PTV News amplified claims of 133 Taliban operatives killed versus two Pakistani security personnel lost.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi decried the Afghan assault as a cowardly civilian-targeted strike in the night, vowing severe repercussions. The nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces, he posted on X.

The Associated Press verified Pakistan's focus on military facilities, withholding casualty figures from the latest raids.Broader Context and Regional RipplesThis flare-up caps a cycle of violence: Pakistan's Sunday strikes hit militants it accuses Afghanistan of sheltering, prompting Kabul's riposte.

Analysts trace roots to the Taliban's 2021 takeover, porous borders enabling Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) incursions, and disputes over fencing the Durand Line.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar