Pakistan-Afghanistan Tensions Live Updates: Pak Declares 'Open War', Targets Afghan Cities

Earlier this week, the Taliban had issued a stern warning to Pakistan, saying it would deliver an “appropriate and measured response” to the airstrikes carried out by Pakistan over the weekend.

Islamabad stated the strikes had targeted camps of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP) militants in eastern Afghanistan, according to a Reuters report.

The Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Thursday rejected India’s comments condemning airstrikes by the Pakistani military in Afghanistan, PTI reported.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had on Sunday described the strikes as another attempt by Pakistan to “externalise its internal failures”.

He had affirmed India’s support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence.

Afghanistan said it renewed attacks against Pakistani troops along their shared frontier on Friday, after Islamabad launched air strikes on key Afghan cities including Kabul and Kandahar.

“After airstrikes in Kabul, Kandahar and other provinces, once again wide-ranging retaliatory operations were launched against the positions of Pakistani soldiers, in the directions of Kandahar and Helmand as well,” Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a post on ‘X’.

Amid hostilities with Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif invoked India to target the Afghan Taliban government, claiming it became a “proxy for New Delhi”.

“Pakistan made every effort to keep the situation normal through direct means and through friendly countries. It engaged in full-fledged diplomacy. But the Taliban became a proxy for India”, Asif wrote in a post on ‘X’.

Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi said Friday that the strikes on Afghanistan were a “befitting response” to Kabul’s attack on the border.

“Pakistan’s armed forces have given a befitting response to the Afghan Taliban’s open aggression,” said Naqvi.

Following months of worsening violence alongside border, Pakistan has declared an “open war” with Afghanistan amid airstrikes and cross-border attacks.

Islamabad launched air strikes on key Afghan cities, including Kabul and Kandahar. The Taliban government responded with retaliatory operations, confirming the air strikes.