Fighting between Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government and Pakistan intensified on Friday (27 February), with both sides claiming heavy casualties and blaming each other for cross-border attacks.
As military operations continued along their border and conflicting accounts emerged from both capitals, Kabul called for dialogue.
Kabul calls for ‘dialogue’ amid escalation
Afghanistan’s Taliban government has indicated it is still seeking a peaceful solution despite the escalating violence.
“We have repeatedly emphasized a peaceful solution and we still want the issue to be resolved through dialogue,” Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told a news conference.
Pakistan-Afghan War Update here
Conflicting claims about drone strike
The two sides offered starkly different versions of the events surrounding the drone operation.
Afghan officials claimed they had “successfully carried out” attacks on Pakistani military installations.
However, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar disputed the claim, saying that militants linked to the Pakistani Taliban had attempted drone attacks in Pakistan but had been intercepted.
“They were brought down by anti-drone systems and there was no loss of life,” Tarar said.
Pakistani military spokesman Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry denied allegations of civilian attacks.
“No civilian infrastructure was targeted anywhere. They are all military targets,” he said.
Pakistan has also accused the Afghan Taliban of coordinating attacks with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad calls “Fitna al Khawarij”.
Afghan officials also claimed that their forces had carried out drone strikes in Pakistan.
The Afghan Ministry of Defense and a government spokesman said Taliban forces had “successfully carried out” airstrikes on Pakistani military positions using drones.
Mujahid later warned that the attacks were intended to send a message, stating: “Our hand may reach their collar”, adding that any “malicious act” by Pakistan would be answered “in Islamabad”.
Pakistan declared “open war”
Pakistan described the situation as “open war” after days of clashes.
“Our patience has run out. Now there is open war between us,” Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said in a post on X. “Now it will be ‘Dama Dam Mast Qalandar’.”
According to Pakistani military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, Pakistani forces killed 274 Taliban members and wounded another 400.
“Twelve Pakistani soldiers were killed, 27 others were injured and one is missing in action,” Chaudhry said.
He added that Pakistan destroyed 73 Afghan border posts and captured 18 others. Airstrikes were carried out in 22 locations including Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Khost, Paktika and Laghman.
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Retaliation along the Durand Line
The fighting reportedly began after Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s border areas earlier this week.
Taliban forces attacked several Pakistani border control posts on Thursday, February 27, apparently in retaliation.
The 2,611-kilometer border between the two countries, known as the Durand Line, remains a long-standing point of contention because Kabul has never formally recognized it.
Mujahid claimed that Afghan forces captured 19 Pakistani military posts and killed 55 Pakistani soldiers, while 13 Afghan fighters were killed and 22 wounded.
“Afghan forces recovered weapons, ammunition, one tank and a military transport vehicle,” he said.
Political and military response
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi where he was briefed on the situation.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz said that “zero tolerance” should be adopted for coordination between the Afghan Taliban and the TTP.
(With Reuters, PTI inputs)
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