🇵🇰 Pakistan Bombs Kabul as Conflict with Afghanistan Escalates

By International Affairs Desk

Explosions were reported overnight in Kabul as Pakistan launched airstrikes on multiple Afghan cities, marking a sharp escalation in a conflict that has rapidly spiraled beyond border skirmishes.

Pakistan’s defense minister publicly declared that the two neighbours are now in a state of “open war”, a dramatic shift after months of tension and periodic clashes along the contested Durand Line border.

🔥 What Happened

• Pakistani jets struck targets in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia in coordinated airstrikes.

• Both sides have reported casualties, with Pakistan claiming scores of Taliban fighters killed and Afghanistan reporting fatalities and damage in civilian areas.

• Explosions were also heard in border provinces as fighting intensified beyond aerial bombardment.

📈 How Tensions Escalated

Officials said the latest strikes were in response to cross-border attacks and militant activity allegedly emanating from Afghan territory. Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring groups that attack Pakistani forces; Kabul denies this and condemns the strikes as violations of sovereignty.

This marks one of the most severe breakdowns in relations between the two neighbours since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Efforts to maintain a ceasefire brokered in late 2025 unraveled amid this new cycle of violence.

🕊️ Civilian Impact

Residents in Kabul described explosions and panic as blasts echoed through the capital. Eyewitnesses said the bombardment caused fear and disruption across residential areas.

Reports suggest that the strikes have also affected border communities and refugee camps, prompting evacuations and concerns about wider humanitarian consequences.

📍 Diplomatic Fallout

Pakistan’s defense officials insist the escalation is a response to sustained militant threats, while Afghan authorities and international observers have urged both sides to pursue de-escalation and dialogue.

Regional powers and global organisations, including the United Nations, have called for protection of civilians and an urgent return to diplomatic channels to prevent further conflict.

🔎 Why This Matters

The outbreak of direct strikes — including on Kabul itself — represents a serious widening of hostilities between two neighbouring states long linked by history, culture and security cooperation. Analysts warn that without rapid diplomatic intervention, the situation could destabilize the broader region.

Would you like a timeline of how the conflict escalated leading up to these strikes? (That can help clarify what triggered the rupture.)