Pakistan Declares "Open War" on Afghanistan as Cross-Border Conflict Escalates into Major Airstrikes

Pakistan declares open war on Afghanistan Feb 27, 2026, launching airstrikes on Kabul and Kandahar as border clashes kill hundreds on both sides.

By: AXL Media

Published: Feb 27, 2026, 3:05 AM EST

Source: Information sourced from The Irish News

The Declaration of Open Hostilities

The long-standing tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban-led government in Kabul reached a breaking point early Friday morning. Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif announced via social media that Pakistan has exhausted its patience, officially considering the two nations in a state of "open war." He accused the Taliban of turning Afghanistan into a "colony of India" and failing to uphold regional stability. This shift from sporadic border skirmishes to formal military offense followed a series of cross-border attacks that Islamabad described as "unprovoked aggression."

Operation Ghazab lil-Haq and Airstrikes on Major Cities

In a massive retaliatory response, the Pakistan Air Force conducted airstrikes on several strategic locations, including the Afghan capital, Kabul, and the southern Taliban stronghold of Kandahar. Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that the operation, dubbed "Ghazab lil-Haq," aimed to dismantle Taliban military infrastructure. According to Pakistani officials, the strikes successfully destroyed 27 Taliban posts and two corps headquarters. While Pakistan reports heavy losses among Afghan fighters, the Taliban government spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, condemned the strikes as "cowardly" and claimed that retaliatory Afghan fire destroyed multiple Pakistani border outposts.

Conflicting Casualty Claims and Border Realities

Both nations have issued sharply conflicting reports regarding the human cost of the conflict. Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense claimed that their forces killed 55 Pakistani soldiers and captured others alive during the overnight fighting. Conversely, Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s spokesperson, Mosharraf Ali Zaidi, denied any Pakistani soldiers were captured, stating instead that 133 Afghan fighters were neutralized. The fighting has also had a severe impact on civilians and refugees; authorities reported that hundreds of Afghan refugees at the Torkham border were moved to secure locations as clashes intensified along the Durand Line.