Pakistan declares war against Afghanistan
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan intensified on Monday after the Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility for a series of armed drone strikes on key Pakistani military installations, including the Command and Control Centre at Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi. The air base, a strategically significant facility, was previously damaged during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. Reconstruction and repair efforts had been ongoing for months following the confrontation between India and Pakistan. The latest reported strike is expected to further complicate restoration work at the site.
In a statement shared via its official X account, Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense said its air force carried out “precise and coordinated aerial operations” targeting several Pakistani military positions. Besides Nur Khan Air Base, the statement named the 12th Division headquarters in Quetta, Balochistan, and the Khwazai Camp in the Mohmand region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa among the targets. The ministry also released what it described as drone footage of the strikes.
The cross-border escalation follows claims by Taliban officials that they had shot down a Pakistani fighter jet over Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan. According to media, the pilot ejected and was taken into custody shortly after landing. Local sources said the pilot was detained by Taliban forces.
The situation deteriorated further on Friday when Pakistan launched air operations targeting locations in Kabul and Kandahar. Kandahar holds particular importance as it is the base of Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. A Pakistani Government spokesperson stated that the strikes resulted in the deaths of 133 Taliban fighters, with more than 200 injured. Several Taliban posts were reportedly destroyed or seized.
Taliban authorities described Pakistan’s actions as a continuation of earlier cross-border attacks and said their own operations were carried out in retaliation. Afghan officials claimed that subsequent counter-strikes killed at least 55 Pakistani soldiers.
Amid the spiraling violence, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the country was in a state of “open war” with Afghanistan, underscoring the severity of the confrontation. The latest exchanges mark one of the sharpest military escalations between the two neighboring countries in recent years, raising concerns of a prolonged conflict along the volatile border.
Further independent verification of casualty figures and damage assessments from both sides remains pending.
