‘Open war’ erupts: PAF pounds Kabul as Taliban seeks talks after heavy losses

ISLAMABAD/KABUL (MNTV) — Pakistan and Afghanistan have plunged into what Islamabad has described as “open war,” after large-scale air and ground operations struck deep inside Afghan territory, including Kabul and Kandahar, in the most dramatic escalation between the two neighbors in years.

According to news sources, Pakistan launched widespread bombardment of major Afghan cities following cross-border attacks on its troops, marking the first time Kandahar — the Taliban’s historic stronghold — has been hit.

Explosions were reported in Kabul’s Wazir Akbar Khan district, near key Taliban administrative facilities, with witnesses describing jets overhead until dawn, according to The Guardian.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif declared the situation “open war,” stating that Islamabad’s patience had run out after repeated militant violence allegedly emanating from Afghan soil.

Meanwhile, Dawn News reported that Pakistan formally launched “Operation Ghazab lil-Haq,” carrying out coordinated airstrikes and artillery exchanges across the Durand Line.

Targets reportedly included sites in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia and Nangarhar. Citing military briefings, Dawn noted that Pakistan’s response followed what it described as a publicly declared “large-scale offensive” by Afghan Taliban forces along multiple border sectors.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general said 274 Taliban regime personnel and affiliated fighters were killed and more than 400 wounded during the operation, while 74 Afghan posts were destroyed and 18 taken into Pakistani custody.

He added that 115 tanks and armored vehicles were destroyed, along with 22 militant hideouts linked to banned outfits. Twelve Pakistani soldiers were martyred and 27 injured.

“Our operation last night was for the defense of our country and the protection of our people,” the ISPR chief stated, as quoted by Geo News, adding that only military objectives were targeted.

Geo News further reported that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) jets struck an infantry brigade headquarters in Kabul and another brigade site in Kandahar, while military installations in Nangarhar, Laghman and Paktika were also hit.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi to receive a detailed operational briefing. Addressing senior commanders, he reaffirmed a zero-tolerance stance against militant groups allegedly operating from Afghanistan and described cross-border attacks as “unacceptable.”

On the Afghan side, casualty claims sharply diverged. Afghanistan’s defense ministry asserted that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in border clashes and claimed destruction of 19 Pakistani posts. However, Pakistan’s officials rejected reports of captured troops.

Despite the intensifying conflict, the Taliban signalled willingness to de-escalate. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a press conference, as quoted by Geo News, “We have repeatedly emphasized a peaceful solution and still want the problem to be resolved through dialogue.”

Analysts cited by Dawn News observed that while Pakistan’s conventional airpower provides battlefield leverage, sustainable resolution requires structural engagement over the presence of armed groups allegedly operating from Afghan territory.

The paper emphasized that battlefield gains must translate into diplomatic leverage to avoid entrenching a cycle of retaliation.

Tensions along the 2,611-kilometer Durand Line have steadily worsened since October’s deadly clashes and the breakdown of a Qatari- and Türkiye-mediated ceasefire.

As exchanges continue and rhetoric hardens, both sides face mounting pressure to prevent a full-scale interstate war in an already volatile region.