Pakistan has conducted targeted strikes against Taliban positions in Afghanistan, with Islamabad officially characterizing the escalating conflict as an "open war."
The Operative Information Center-OMM reports, citing Reuters, that the Pakistan military launched a series of coordinated aerial and ground strikes overnight. The operations targeted Taliban government facilities across several key Afghan cities, resulting in significant casualties reported by both sides.
Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif stated that the nation now views the situation as a full-scale military confrontation. "Our patience has run out. This is now an open war between us and you [Afghanistan]," the minister declared, emphasizing the severity of the security breakdown along the border.
Government spokesperson Musharraf Zaidi further detailed that the armed forces are continuing counter-offensive operations against Afghan targets. According to Zaidi, the strikes were a direct response to "unprovoked attacks originating from Afghanistan." He reported that the operations resulted in 133 Taliban fighters killed and more than 200 wounded, with 27 positions destroyed and nine others captured by Pakistani forces.
The escalation marks a significant deterioration in relations between the two neighboring South Asian nations, which share a porous 2,640-kilometer (1,640-mile) border known as the Durand Line. Tensions have historically remained high due to cross-border militancy and territorial disputes. This latest military action follows a series of security incidents that have prompted Islamabad to adopt a more aggressive posture to ensure its regional stability and border integrity.
