NEW DELHI: Pakistan carried out air strikes on Afghanistan’s major cities, including Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia, sharply escalating months of border tensions between the two neighbours. Officials in Islamabad and Kabul confirmed the strikes, which followed days of cross-border firing along the Durand Line — the disputed frontier separating the two countries.
Both sides accused each other of initiating the latest round of violence. Pakistan declared it was in an “open war” following retaliatory attacks by Taliban forces. The escalation marks one of the most serious confrontations since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, deepening an already strained relationship shaped by militant attacks, border closures and diplomatic mistrust.
