Pakistan, Afghanistan trade strikes as tensions sharply escalate

The latest escalation began after Afghan authorities said they launched attacks late Thursday in response to Pakistani airstrikes carried out earlier this week in border regions. Pakistan reported conducting strikes early Friday targeting what it described as military facilities in Kabul and two other provinces.

Afghan government spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid stated that Afghan forces had struck key targets inside Pakistan, calling the operation a response to previous actions by Islamabad. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif later said the situation had moved beyond restraint, describing it as open hostilities between the two countries.

Tensions between the neighbors have been building for months amid recurring clashes along the border. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of allowing militant groups to operate from its territory and carry out attacks across the frontier. Afghan officials deny these claims and say Pakistan’s security challenges are domestic in nature.

Both sides reported casualties from recent fighting, though the figures differ significantly and could not be independently verified. Pakistani officials said their operations resulted in substantial losses among Afghan forces and affiliated fighters, while Kabul disputed those numbers and reported its own claims of Pakistani casualties.

Fighting was also reported in the Torkham border area, where Afghan authorities said mortar fire struck civilian locations, including an evacuated refugee camp. Afghan forces were said to have responded by targeting Pakistani military posts.

Amid the escalation, Pakistan reported intercepting several small drones over northwestern cities, describing them as part of a failed militant attempt.

Regional and international actors have called for restraint. Türkiye, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have previously supported dialogue efforts, while the United Nations urged both sides to protect civilians and pursue diplomatic solutions. Russia and Iran also expressed support for negotiations.

The renewed tensions come as millions of Afghan migrants have returned home in recent years following enforcement measures in neighboring countries, adding to humanitarian pressures along the border.

Earlier, Qazinform reported that the Uzbek Overseas Geology Company began implementing a geological exploration project in Afghanistan.