Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif declared Friday that Islamabad’s restraint had ended after Afghan Taliban forces allegedly launched coordinated attacks on Pakistani military positions along the frontier late Thursday.
“Our patience has now run out,” Asif said, signaling a shift from border skirmishes to what he framed as full-scale confrontation.
Death Toll and Conflicting Claims
The scale of casualties remains heavily disputed.
Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said Pakistani air and ground operations targeted 22 Afghan military installations under “Operation Ghazab lil-Haq.” He stated that at least 274 Afghan forces and affiliated militants were killed and more than 400 wounded.
Pakistan also confirmed its own losses, reporting 12 soldiers killed, 27 wounded, and one missing in action.
However, the Afghan Taliban government rejected those figures. Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said 13 Afghan soldiers were killed and 22 injured, while 13 civilians were wounded.
He claimed 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed, alleging that some bodies were taken into Afghan territory and that additional troops were captured.
If combined based on both sides’ public statements, the reported death toll surpasses 330 fatalities, though none of the claims have been independently verified. Analysts note that during active hostilities, casualty figures are often contested and difficult to confirm.
Strikes on Major Cities and Border Regions
Pakistan said it carried out airstrikes in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktika in response to what it described as “unprovoked Afghan attacks” across the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Afghan officials acknowledged that strikes hit military-related locations but accused Islamabad of widening the conflict.
Heavy fighting was also reported near the Torkham border crossing, a vital trade and transit point between the two countries. Residents on both sides reported artillery fire and aerial activity overnight.
Pakistani authorities said air defense systems intercepted several small drones over Abbottabad, Swabi and Nowshera. No civilian casualties were officially confirmed in those incidents.
Roots of the Escalation
The latest confrontation follows months of rising tensions despite a fragile ceasefire reached in October. Previous negotiations failed to produce a lasting settlement, with both governments accusing each other of undermining dialogue efforts.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban-led administration of harboring armed groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it blames for deadly attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies supporting cross-border militancy and insists Pakistan’s internal security challenges are domestic issues.
Recent improvements in diplomatic and trade ties between Afghanistan and India have also contributed to Islamabad’s concerns, adding a broader geopolitical dimension to the dispute.
International Reaction and Diplomatic Efforts
The rapid escalation prompted urgent diplomatic engagement.
The United Nations urged both sides to protect civilians and resolve differences through dialogue. Regional actors including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran initiated contacts with Islamabad and Kabul. China and the United Kingdom also called for immediate de-escalation to prevent further instability in South Asia.
Iran publicly offered to facilitate dialogue between the two neighbors, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan.
Civilian and Refugee Impact
The renewed fighting has heightened fears among civilians living along the 2,600-kilometer mountainous border. Pakistani authorities said some Afghan refugees in sensitive border areas were relocated to safer locations as a precaution.
The conflict unfolds amid ongoing migrant repatriation efforts that have seen millions of Afghans return from Pakistan over the past two years, increasing humanitarian vulnerability in border regions.
A Volatile Situation
Both militaries remain on high alert, and officials on each side continue to issue strong statements defending their actions. With sharply differing casualty figures, active military deployments and diplomatic pressure mounting, the crisis represents one of the most serious escalations between the two countries in years.
Observers warn that unless sustained diplomatic efforts succeed, the confrontation could destabilize an already fragile regional security landscape.
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