Pakistan Declares 'Open War' on Taliban Afghanistan

"Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and you." Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif's declaration on February 27th wasn't mere rhetoric. The night before, Pakistani forces had bombed major Afghan cities including the capital Kabul, marking a dramatic escalation in cross-border tensions.

Strikes Across a 2,600km Frontier

Pakistani security sources described coordinated air and ground strikes targeting Taliban posts, headquarters, and ammunition depots across multiple border sectors. The casualty figures tell a story of significant escalation: Pakistan claims 133 Taliban fighters killed and over 200 wounded, while the Taliban counters with 55 Pakistani soldiers killed against 8 Taliban and 13 civilian deaths.

Videos from Kabul showed thick black smoke rising from two sites and massive fires engulfing parts of the capital. In Paktia province, footage captured a building—identified by Pakistani officials as a Taliban headquarters—consumed by flames. Residents in Kabul reported constant ambulance sirens following loud explosions and the sound of jets overhead.

This wasn't a sudden eruption. Pakistan had launched airstrikes earlier this week targeting camps of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State militants in eastern Afghanistan. When those strikes killed 13 civilians according to Afghan sources, the Taliban promised "strong response"—a promise they delivered Thursday night with retaliatory attacks on Pakistani military installations.

Two Logics, One Dilemma

Pakistan's position is straightforward: militants operating from Afghan soil are conducting attacks inside Pakistan, making cross-border action necessary. Government spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi framed the strikes as responses to "unprovoked Afghan attacks." Pakistani officials have expressed growing concern about militant strikes in urban centers, viewing the Taliban government as either unwilling or unable to control armed groups on its territory.

The Taliban's logic is equally clear: they don't permit militant operations from their territory, and Pakistan's security issues are "internal problems." Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid characterized Pakistan's actions as sovereignty violations requiring strong response. Bakhtar News Agency from Nangarhar province even published images of what it called a "battalion of suicide attackers" equipped with explosive vests and car bombs, prepared to strike "major targets."

Both sides claim moral and legal justification, but both face the same fundamental challenge: how to secure a 2,600km border that has defied control for decades.

The Graveyard's New Chapter

This conflict unfolds against Afghanistan's reputation as the "graveyard of empires"—a land that neither the Soviet Union nor the United States could pacify through military means. The irony is stark: Pakistan, which supported various Afghan factions for decades as part of its strategic depth policy, now faces threats from the very region it sought to influence.

For the Taliban, this confrontation tests their governance model. Internationally isolated and economically struggling, they've chosen confrontation over accommodation. Their release of suicide bomber images suggests they're prepared to escalate beyond conventional military engagement.

The international community watches with familiar unease. While understanding Pakistan's counter-terrorism concerns, cross-border military action raises sovereignty questions. Meanwhile, the Taliban government's legitimacy and human rights record remain contentious issues that complicate diplomatic solutions.