Pakistan, Afghanistan claim heavy casualties in clashes

War has broken out between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan has launched air strikes on Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, and other cities, as clashes escalate along the two countries’ shared border. Afghan authorities said their forces launched retaliatory strikes along the Durand Line after Pakistani air raids on border provinces. On Friday, gunfire and shelling were reported near the key Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan.The Pakistan military spokesperson said that 274 officials and militants linked to the Taliban have been killed since Thursday night. The claim comes as Islamabad defends its military actions as targeted and necessary to counter cross-border threats. The figures reflect the scale of Pakistan’s operations as hostilities with Afghanistan continue to intensify.Afghanistan defence ministry says it targeted Pakistani military bases in Jamrud, Abbottabad in aerial operation.

Official 'X' Account of Ministry of National Defense, Afghanistan (@MoDAfghanistan2), posts, "military positions in Jamrud, and additional locations in Abbottabad. The aerial operation was successfully executed, targeting key Pakistani military bases, command centers, and… pic.twitter.com/4RzOqpsouL

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 27, 2026

Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif on Friday said his country was now in an “open war” with neighbouring Afghanistan, calling it the worst escalation since a Qatar-mediated ceasefire in October. Asif said Islamabad’s patience had run out with the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan.Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar wrote on X that “Afghan Taliban defence targets” had been struck in Kabul, the southeastern Paktia province and southern Kandahar.
The declaration came hours after Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah ⁠Mujahid said Afghanistan was carrying out “large-scale offensive operations” against the Pakistani military along the Durand Line, which separates the two countries. This follows weeks of fighting along the countries’ shared border, with both sides claiming that dozens of people have been killed.
Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of Army Staff of the Armed Forces of Afghanistan has said that if Pakistan “violates” any part of Afghanistan’s territory, it will receive an even stronger and more decisive response. In his remarks regarding retaliatory attacks against Pakistan’s military regime, he assured that Kabul would not leave any aggression unanswered and emphasized that “we will respond to a finger with a fist.” The Chief of Army Staff warned that if Pakistan’s military regime seeks to destabilize Afghanistan, they would not remain safe even in Islamabad or other major centers of that country.
Meanwhile, several countries, including Russia, China, Turkey, Qatar and UK have urged to both countries to de=escalate the tension. Qatar has reportedly called for mediation between Kabul and Islamabad. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of “exporting terrorism” and supporting the Pakistani Taliban, allegations Kabul denies. The latest clashes follow months of tension, including deadly incidents in October and a fragile ceasefire that failed to hold.