Pakistan has bombed major cities in Afghanistan, including Kabul and Kandahar, with Islamabad's defence minister declaring a state of 'open war' between the hostile neighbours. The strikes, which began on Friday, mark Pakistan's most widespread bombardment of the Afghan capital and its first airstrikes on Kandahar, the southern power base of the Taliban.
The wave of attacks came after Afghan forces attacked Pakistani border troops on Thursday night, following earlier airstrikes by Islamabad. Witnesses in Kabul and Kandahar reported explosions and jets overhead until dawn, while the Taliban government said Pakistani surveillance aircraft were still flying over Afghanistan.
Afghan authorities in eastern Nangarhar province reported that fighting was continuing in the Torkham border area on Friday morning. The province's information directorate said Pakistani mortar fire hit civilian areas, including a refugee camp, and that Afghanistan was targeting Pakistani army posts in response. Dozens of casualties were reported, with at least 12 people killed.
Pakistan's defence minister, Khawaja Mohammad Asif, said on social media: 'Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us.' He accused the Taliban of gathering militants from around the world and 'exporting terrorism'. Pakistan's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said the armed forces could 'crush' aggressors.
Tensions have been high between Pakistan and Afghanistan for months, with border clashes in October killing dozens. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan's Taliban government of harbouring militant groups that stage attacks across the border, including the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). A Qatari-mediated ceasefire ended the fighting last year, but peace talks in Istanbul in November failed to produce a formal agreement.
