South Asia is under major turmoil with the rising Afghanistan – Pakistan conflict. Both countries have been on bad terms for the last few months and have reported multiple casualties in the last few days alone. Now, the Pakistani Defense Minister has said that their patience has run out, declaring an “open war” situation with their neighbor.
Pakistan is in Open War with Afghanistan after the Thursday Attack
India Today has reported that Pakistan is in an open war situation, according to the country’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s announcement. On Friday, Asif declared an open war with Afghanistan after the dramatic escalation between the two countries due to an overnight cross-border strike between the two.
“Our patience has run out. It is now open war between us and you,” added Asif.
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Why the Open War?
Pakistan’s open war remark came after a series of military actions between the countries in the last 48 hours. On February 26, 2026, Afghan forces launched a large-scale offensive operation against Pakistani military bases and military installations.
“In response to repeated violations by the Pakistani military, large-scale offensive operations were launched against Pakistani military bases and military installations,” Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.
Sources reveal Afghan retaliated after the Pakistani strikes on Nangarhar and Paktika provinces on Sunday. The UN mission in Afghanistan reported the death of 13 Afghan civilians in this strike, but the Taliban government claims at least 18 people were killed.
On February 27, 2026, Pakistan responded to Afghanistan’s military action with Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq (“Righteous Fury”). Under this, they have conducted airstrikes on major Afghan cities, including Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia.
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Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said:
“The cowardly Pakistani military has carried out airstrikes in certain areas of Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia; fortunately, there have been no reported casualties.”
Casualties Claims in Afghanistan – Pakistan Conflict
As the conflict escalated, both sides shared accounts of the damage and conflicts. However, the claims from both sides vary greatly.
| Metric | Afghan Claims (Varies greatly from source to source) | Pakistan Claims (Varies greatly from source to source) |
| Pakistani Casualties | 55 soldiers killed; several captured. | 2 soldiers killed; 3 wounded. |
| Afghan Casualties | 8 soldiers killed; 11 wounded. | 133 Taliban fighters killed; 200+ wounded. |
| Military Posts | 13+ Pakistani posts captured. | 27 Taliban posts destroyed; 9 captured. |
Regarding Afghanistan’s Thursday attack on Pakistan, they claimed to have killed more than 10 and captured dozens of soldiers and 13 outposts. Mujahid said:
“Dozens of (Pakistani) soldiers have been killed, and we have transferred 10 dead bodies to Kunar and other areas. There are also several wounded and caught alive.”
Pakistan claims that its prior attack on Sunday killed at least 70 fighters, but Afghanistan rejected the claim. Instead, it alleges that it’s the civilians who had been killed, including women and children.
There are claims of killing 55 Pakistani soldiers since Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Kabul and other Afghan cities. Pakistan, on the other hand, reported killing 133 Taliban fighters and wounding 200+, destroying dozens of posts, according to their government spokesperson.
During the deadly fighting in October, more than 70 deaths were reported on both sides. Although several attempts at negotiation have been made, a lasting agreement could not be made.
Reasons Behind the Afghanistan – Pakistan Open War Situation
Multiple reasons have been reported behind the Afghanistan – Pakistan conflict, including terrorism allegations, the Durand Line, and more.
Notably, Pakistan accuses the Taliban of supporting the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allowing them to launch attacks from Afghan soil. In the attack, the recent Islamabad suicide bombing incident is also reported, which killed 36 people.
Additionally, Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, alleges that the Taliban is turning Afghanistan into a “colony of India” and exporting terrorism to neighboring countries like them.
Lastly, the 2,611km border, the Durand Line, is the biggest reason behind this friction between the countries. The Taliban government does not officially recognize the boundary drawn in the British era.
The tension is still building between the two countries. Residents near the Torkham border crossing are reportedly fleeing their homes for safety.