Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Conflict Escalates After Pakistan Launches Operation Ghazab Lil Haq

New Delhi/Islamabad/Kabul: Military tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalate after Pakistan conducts airstrikes inside Afghan territory under Operation Ghazab Lil Haq amid ongoing border clashes along the Durand Line.

Pakistan’s military states that the operation begins around 3:40 a.m. local time and targets what it describes as Afghan military installations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia provinces. Pakistani defense authorities claim the strikes focus on command centers, brigade headquarters, ammunition depots and logistics facilities allegedly linked to attacks on Pakistani border posts.

Islamabad says the operation is a response to earlier border fighting in which Pakistani troops were killed or injured. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif states that the situation has escalated into open conflict following repeated cross-border attacks.

Pakistan also claims the strikes kill more than 130 Afghan fighters and injure over 200 others while destroying several military structures, weapons stockpiles and vehicles. These casualty figures have not been independently verified.

The Taliban-led Taliban government confirms that Pakistani aircraft and artillery strike locations inside Afghanistan but rejects Pakistan’s casualty estimates. Afghan officials describe the attacks as a violation of Afghan sovereignty and accuse Pakistan of initiating military action.

Afghan authorities state that their air defense units attempt to engage Pakistani aircraft during the bombardment and that Afghan forces carry out retaliatory operations targeting Pakistani military posts along different border sectors. Taliban spokespeople claim their forces inflict casualties on Pakistani troops during earlier clashes and subsequent exchanges, though no verified casualty figures are released.

Both governments report heavy exchanges of artillery and small-arms fire across multiple points along the 2,600-kilometer border, including near key crossing areas. Each side accuses the other of triggering the escalation, and independent verification of damage and casualty claims is not available.

The confrontation develops after months of strained relations between the two neighbors over border security concerns, allegations of militant activity and intermittent border skirmishes despite previous diplomatic efforts.

International actors, including the United Nations, along with China, Russia and Iran, call for restraint and encourage dialogue to prevent further humanitarian and regional instability.

As fighting continues along frontier sectors, there is no immediate indication that either side plans to halt military operations, keeping the region on high alert.