Shafaq News- Islamabad/ Kabul
Pakistan said on Friday that its air force struck 22 Afghan military targets overnight, killing 274 Taliban fighters and wounding more than 400 others as clashes erupted between the two neighboring countries.
Military spokesperson Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the operation Ghazab al-Haq (Justified Anger) targeted border positions across Afghanistan. Pakistani forces destroyed 83 Afghan border posts and seized 17 others, while preliminary assessments indicate that 115 tanks, armored transport vehicles, and artillery units were destroyed. Regarding Pakistani army losses, he noted that at least 12 Pakistani soldiers were killed in the fighting since yesterday.
The Defense Ministry of Afghanistan claimed a “successful” drone strike on military targets in Pakistan. Pakistan’s Information Minister, however, pointed out that air defense systems intercepted and shot down all the drones.
Earlier today, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared an “open war” against Afghanistan’s government, noting that Islamabad had exhausted diplomatic efforts, both directly and through partner countries, before resorting to military action. Meanwhile, an Afghan Taliban spokesperson said in a press conference that his country is “willing to settle the issue through talks.”
The escalation drew international concern, as UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk called for dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan amid the border clashes and airstrikes, while also condemning the Taliban’s increasingly restrictive measures against women and girls. India condemned the Pakistani airstrikes and reaffirmed support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty, while regional actors signaled readiness to mediate.
Relations between the two countries have sharply deteriorated in recent months. Border crossings have remained closed since October 2025, when clashes left more than 70 people dead on both sides. Mediation efforts by Qatar and Turkiye, along with several rounds of negotiations following a temporary ceasefire, have failed to produce a lasting settlement, as Islamabad continues to accuse Kabul of harboring armed factions behind cross-border violence, a claim Afghan authorities deny.