Residents of District 6 in Kabul were jolted awake by explosions and the sound of jets overhead as violence escalated sharply between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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Pakistan launched airstrikes in Afghanistan, including in Kabul as well as Paktia and Kandahar provinces, the latter a historic stronghold of the Taliban movement. The strikes followed months of rising hostilities along the border.
Earlier the same night, Afghanistan’s Taliban government said it had carried out a ground operation against Pakistani military positions near the frontier, claiming to have captured posts and killed soldiers. Taliban officials described the action as retaliation for what they called Pakistani incursions and civilian deaths caused by earlier airstrikes.
Those earlier strikes, on 21 February, targeted Nangarhar and Paktika provinces. The United Nations said it had credible reports that 13 Afghan civilians were killed. Islamabad denies targeting civilians, saying it struck militant hideouts linked to Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban.
Pakistan says the TTP has carried out a series of attacks inside the country, including a recent suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad that killed more than 30 people. Although the Islamic State group claimed responsibility, Pakistani officials say they have evidence linking the TTP to the attack and accuse Afghanistan-based leaders of directing operations with Taliban support.
The Taliban government rejects those allegations, insisting Afghan territory is not used to threaten other countries and calling Pakistan’s actions unprovoked.
The last major flare-up occurred in October 2025, when cross-border strikes continued for days. Mediation efforts by Qatar and Turkey led to talks in Doha and Istanbul, producing a fragile ceasefire that ultimately failed.
Militarily, Pakistan holds a significant advantage, with advanced aircraft and defence systems. Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities rely largely on equipment left behind after the 2021 withdrawal of US and NATO forces, along with limited acquisitions through informal channels. There is no evidence Kabul can conduct deep airstrikes into Pakistan, though it has reportedly used drones in the latest clashes.
Trade between the two countries has been suspended since October 2025, affecting businesses and the supply of essential goods, including medicines.
For many Afghans, already facing economic hardship and restrictions under Taliban rule, the renewed violence has shattered a sense of relative security that had followed decades of war.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now · Source · 27 Feb 2026