The Taliban government on Wednesday accused Pakistan of conducting overnight air strikes inside Afghan territory, claiming at least 13 civilians were killed, including 11 children.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani military aircraft violated Afghan airspace between Tuesday night and early Wednesday, hitting civilian homes in the eastern provinces of Kunar, Khost, and Paktika. Fourteen others were injured, mostly women, according to the group.

Mujahid described the attacks as “unprovoked aggression” and released photographs showing what he said were the aftermath, including damaged homes and casualties. Pakistan has not yet commented publicly on the latest allegations.

Strikes Hit Residential Areas

Initial reports from local sources indicated explosions in remote villages near the border. Residents described hearing aircraft overhead followed by blasts that shook homes, according to accounts shared with Afghan media outlets. One survivor reportedly lost multiple family members in the strikes.

The Taliban has framed the incident as part of a pattern of cross-border operations by Islamabad that have intensified over the past year.

Rising Civilian Toll

Of the 13 killed, 11 were children, one woman, and one elderly man, Mujahid said. The group also claimed 14 women sustained injuries. While independent verification remains difficult in the volatile region, such casualty figures have become distressingly common in recent flare-ups between the two neighbours.

Photographs circulated by Taliban officials showed rubble and what appeared to be remnants of residential structures. Afghan authorities have called for an immediate end to what they term repeated violations of sovereignty.

Background of Escalating Tensions

Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have deteriorated sharply since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Once seen as a key backer of the group, Pakistan now accuses the Taliban of sheltering militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), who Islamabad blames for deadly attacks inside Pakistan.

Taliban officials reject these charges and counter that Pakistan harbours anti-Afghan elements and routinely infringes on Afghan territory. The border has largely remained closed since major clashes erupted in October 2025, disrupting trade and displacing thousands of civilians on both sides.

Earlier incidents, including reported strikes on a rehabilitation centre in Kabul in March that allegedly killed hundreds, have further poisoned the atmosphere. Pakistani authorities have consistently maintained that their operations target militant hideouts and are necessary for national security.

Impact on Border Communities

The latest violence comes as residents along the porous Durand Line continue to bear the brunt of the conflict. Many families have already fled deeper into Afghanistan or towards safer areas, adding to the humanitarian strain in a country already grappling with economic hardship and internal challenges.

Local traders and farmers, who once relied on cross-border movement, say the prolonged closure has devastated livelihoods. “We used to move goods freely; now everything is frozen,” one merchant from the region was quoted saying in local reports.

Diplomatic Silence and Next Steps

As of Wednesday afternoon, there was no official word from Pakistan’s foreign ministry or military on the Taliban’s accusations. Analysts suggest Islamabad may view such operations as defensive measures against what it sees as persistent threats emanating from Afghan soil.

The incident is likely to further complicate already strained regional dynamics. With both sides locked in mutual recriminations, the prospects for dialogue remain dim in the near term.

Observers warn that continued military actions risk spiralling into wider instability, affecting not just bilateral ties but the broader security architecture in South and Central Asia. International calls for restraint have so far yielded little visible effect on the ground.

The Taliban has vowed to respond appropriately while urging the international community to take note of what it calls Pakistani aggression. For now, the focus remains on the immediate aftermath in Kunar, Khost, and Paktika, where rescue and relief efforts are reportedly underway.

In a dramatic escalation of hostilities, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has declared an "open war" against Afghanistan's Taliban government, signaling a dangerous new chapter in the long-troubled bilateral relationship. The declaration follows intense cross-border clashes that have already claimed scores of lives and triggered retaliatory airstrikes on both sides .

Pakistan-Afghanistan Conflict: "Our Patience Has Reached Its Limit"

"Our patience has reached its limit. Now it is open war between us and you," Asif posted on social media platform X early Friday, in a stark message directed at Afghanistan's rulers . The defense minister's declaration came hours after what Islamabad describes as an unprovoked attack by Afghan forces along the Kunar border late Thursday night.

The fighting represents the most serious confrontation since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021, effectively ending any pretense of diplomatic engagement between the neighboring Islamic states.

Conflicting Casualty Figures Deepen the Crisis

The two capitals have presented wildly divergent accounts of the fighting, a familiar pattern in their troubled history. Afghanistan's Deputy Spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat claims that Afghan forces killed 55 Pakistani soldiers, capturing some alive and seizing 19 military outposts along with weapons and equipment .

Pakistan has categorically rejected these figures. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that only two Pakistani soldiers were killed, while claiming that 133 Afghan Taliban fighters have been "terminated" in retaliatory strikes, with more than 200 wounded . According to Pakistani officials, Operation Ghazab Lil Haq—translating roughly to "Wrath of God"—has destroyed 27 Taliban outposts and captured nine.

Cross-Border Airstrikes Target Major Cities

The conflict escalated dramatically when Pakistan launched pre-dawn airstrikes Friday against what it termed "important military facilities" in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia Province . Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar shared footage of the operations on X, showing strikes in the Afghan capital as well as Kandahar and Baktika.

The Taliban responded in kind, with spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirming that "wide-ranging retaliatory operations" were launched against Pakistani positions from Kandahar and Helmand Province . Witnesses in Kabul reported blasts and gunfire, though initial reports indicated no casualties from the airstrikes.

Civilian Casualties Draw International Concern

The human cost of the escalating cross-border airstrikes is becoming increasingly apparent. Reports from Afghanistan indicate that civilians have been caught in the crossfire. In Nangarhar Province, wounded Afghan women were hospitalized after a Pakistani mortar struck a returnees' camp near the Torkham border .

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has confirmed civilian deaths in recent operations and expressed grave concern about the escalating violence. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appealed to both sides for restraint, emphasizing that civilians must be protected in accordance with international law .

Regional and International Response

The international community has moved quickly to address the crisis. Iran has offered to mediate between the two neighbors, while the United Nations urges both parties to pursue diplomatic solutions .

Notably, India has emerged as the only country to publicly condemn Pakistan's airstrikes, describing them as an attempt to "externalize internal failures." Other regional powers including China, Russia, and Central Asian states have maintained silence, reflecting the complex geopolitical calculations at play .

Historical Context: The Durand Line Dispute

The current crisis cannot be understood without reference to the long-standing dispute over the Durand Line, the 19th-century border demarcation that Afghanistan has never formally recognized. Both nations regularly accuse each other of harboring militant groups and attacking border posts .

Since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, relations have steadily deteriorated. Islamabad accuses the Taliban government of allowing Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters to operate from Afghan soil—a charge Kabul consistently denies .

What Happens Next?

With both sides claiming military successes and vowing to continue operations, the immediate outlook appears grim. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has declared that the nation stands united behind its armed forces, which he says are fully capable of crushing any aggression .

Afghanistan's former president Hamid Karzai has urged Afghans to defend their homeland with unity and courage, while calling on Pakistan to pursue "good neighborly and civilized relations."

Previous ceasefire attempts, including a Qatar-brokered agreement in October 2025, have failed to produce lasting peace. Unless meaningful diplomatic engagement resumes soon, the Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict seems destined to escalate further, with ordinary civilians on both sides paying the heaviest price.