Pakistan bombs Kabul in open war declared on Taliban authorities

Several major Afghan cities, including the capital Kabul, were bombed by Pakistan on Friday as the Pakistani government declared an “open war” against the Taliban authorities following an Afghan offensive launched the day before along the border.

The longstanding conflict between Pakistan, a nuclear power, and Afghanistan has escalated since the Taliban leaders regained control of Kabul in August 2021. Pakistan accuses Afghan authorities of harboring armed activists who launch attacks on Pakistani territory, a claim that Afghanistan denies.

Most of the recent hostilities have been claimed by the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), an armed group with a similar ideology to the Afghan Taliban. Gunfire and artillery fire were heard on Friday by journalists near the strategic Torkham border post, one of the few remaining open crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Near the border post, the Omari camp, which houses Afghan returnees from Pakistan, came under overnight fire, forcing people to flee. The clashes have intensified recently, with the common border remaining largely closed since the October fighting, which resulted in 70 deaths on both sides.

In response to the Pakistani airstrikes, the Taliban authorities announced new “large-scale strikes against Pakistani positions.” Both sides have reported casualties, but it is challenging to independently verify the death tolls announced by each party. Pakistani and Afghan authorities have exchanged accusations of unilateral attacks.

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan reported that the bombings over the weekend, the most significant since October, resulted in the deaths of at least 13 civilians. The Taliban government claimed at least 18 casualties. The conflict has attracted offers of mediation from Iran, China, and Saudi Arabia in an effort to ease tensions between the neighboring countries.