Kabul Counterpunch Shatters Islamabad, Shehbaz Declares Open War Ghazab Lil Haq: Here’s How Pak-Afghan Tensions Spiralled

New Delhi: Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have surged dramatically after Kabul claimed its forces killed 55 Pakistani soldiers in cross-border retaliatory strikes, triggering Islamabad’s launch of Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq and reported airstrikes, marking one of the most intense confrontations between the neighbours in recent years. 

Afghan Response and Counter-Claims

The Taliban-led Afghan government on Thursday said that its forces had seized 19 Pakistani military outposts and killed 55 Pakistani soldiers during a major border operation, calling it a response to recent Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan soil.

The 2,611 km (1,622 miles) border between the two countries, known as the Durand Line, has never been officially recognized by Afghanistan. Deputy Spokesperson of Afghanistan, Hamdullah Fitrat, said that heavy retaliatory operations have been launched along the Durand Line, with one headquarters and 19 outposts captured.

The Ministry of National Defence of Afghanistan said, up to 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed, 23 bodies recovered, and some soldiers taken alive, while dozens of weapons, a tank, and a harvester were seized. The operations reportedly continue across Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Kunar, Nuristan, Nangarhar, and the Torkham Gate.

In a post on X, Ministry of National Defence said, "Along the so-called Durand Line, heavy retaliatory offensive operations have been launched against the enemy by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan through the 203 Mansouri Corps and the 201 Khalid bin Walid Corps at various points in the provinces of Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Kunar, Nuristan, Nangarhar, and at the Torkham Gate".

The ministry also reported eight Afghan fighters killed, 11 injured and 13 civilians wounded in a missile strike on a refugee camp in Nangarhar, alleging the operation was retaliation for an earlier Pakistani strike that killed women and children.

Operation and Pakistani Claims

Meanwhile, in retaliation, Pakistan initiated the 'Ghazab Lil Haq' operation targeting the Afghan Taliban regime. Pakistani security forces carried out retaliatory operations across multiple border areas, including Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram, and Bajaur districts, destroying several Afghan Taliban posts. Officials said two Pakistani security personnel were killed in the clashes, while 133 Taliban fighters were killed and more than 200 wounded. Authorities further claimed Pakistani forces destroyed 27 Taliban posts, captured nine and that the Pakistan Air Force struck an ammunition depot in Nangarhar.

State media also reported that Afghan families awaiting repatriation at the Torkham crossing were sent back to a holding centre in Landi Kotal after tensions escalated. Pakistan additionally released video footage it says shows airstrikes carried out in parts of Kabul.

Following the Pakistani strikes on Afghan soil, Afghanistan's spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, condemned the attack, calling the act by the Pakistani military "cowardly". "The cowardly Pakistani military has carried out airstrikes in certain areas of Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia; fortunately, there have been no reported casualties," Mujahid said in a statement on X.

In a post on X, Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, issued a strong statement declaring the "open war" against Afghanistan, stating that Islamabad has lost its patience and accusing the Taliban-led administration of harbouring militants.

"After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it was expected that there would be peace in Afghanistan and that the Taliban would focus on the interests of the Afghan people and peace in the region...They gathered all the terrorists of the world in Afghanistan and began exporting terrorism. They deprived their own people of basic human rights. They snatched away the rights that Islam grants to women," his post read.

"Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and you. Now it will be 'Dama Dam Mast Qalandar'. Pakistan's army did not come from across the seas. We are your neighbours; we know your ins and outs. Allahu Akbar," the Pakistani Defence Minister added.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier said that there will be “no compromise on the defence of the beloved homeland” after escalating cross-border hostilities between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, as both sides issued competing claims of casualties and military gains.

In a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif said Pakistan’s people and armed forces are always ready to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He asserted that the armed forces possess “professional capabilities, high training and effective defence strategies” and are fully prepared to counter internal or external threats. “Our forces are fully capable of crushing any aggressive ambitions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused the Taliban of launching an attack and termed the alleged aggression “intolerable”, warning of serious consequences. He said Pakistan’s armed forces remain on high alert and alleged Taliban fighters attempted to target civilians during nighttime strikes.

Situation Remains Tense

The latest escalation marks one of the most serious confrontations along the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier in recent years. Both sides continue to release sharply conflicting accounts on casualties, territorial gains and strikes, and none of the battlefield claims from either side have been independently verified so far.

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