“Open war” between Afghanistan and Pakistan… bombing and border clashes

Pakistan bombed Taliban government forces in major cities in Afghanistan overnight, targeting for the first time its former allies directly because they were accused of harboring militants, and described the situation as “open war.”

The Pakistani attacks targeted the capital, Kabul, and the city of Kandahar, where Taliban leaders are based. This is the first time that Islamabad has attacked Taliban military facilities instead of militants it says are supported by the movement, which severely spoils relations between the two neighbors.

Security sources in Pakistan said that the strikes included attacks with air-to-ground missiles on military administrative headquarters and Taliban military sites in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia province, in response to Afghan attacks that occurred yesterday, Thursday.

The Taliban, which denies its support for armed attacks on Pakistan and makes similar accusations against its neighbour, said that the attacks on Pakistani military facilities yesterday were retaliatory, but that it was ready to negotiate.

Both sides reported multiple ground clashes on the border and heavy casualties, and issued widely varying statistics that Reuters could not independently verify.

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Friday, “We have run out of patience. Now it is an open war between us and you,” referring to Afghanistan.

Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have become tense due to a long-standing dispute sparked by Islamabad’s accusation that Kabul is harboring militants carrying out attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban denied these charges and said that Pakistan’s security was an internal problem.

The attacks represent a major escalation and threaten a long-term conflict on the 2,600-kilometre border.

Pakistani army spokesman Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told reporters that Pakistani air strikes targeted 22 military sites in Afghanistan, killing…
274 Taliban officials and militants

He added that at least 12 Pakistani soldiers were killed.

For his part, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and the Taliban took control of 19 sites.

The spokesman, Mujahid, confirmed that Pakistani forces launched air strikes on parts of Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia yesterday, Thursday, and on Paktia, Paktika, Khost, and Laghman on Friday.