Pakistan Bombs Taliban Government Targets in Afghanistan, Declares ‘Open War’
Pakistan carried out a series of air and ground strikes inside Afghanistan overnight, targeting what Islamabad described as Taliban government military facilities in major cities, including the capital Kabul and the southern hub of Kandahar, according to officials from both governments. Pakistan’s defence minister publicly described the escalating confrontation as an “open war,” marking one of the most serious flare-ups between the two neighboring countries in recent years. The strikes represent a sharp escalation in tensions that have been building for months along the disputed Durand Line border. Islamabad maintains that the offensive was launched in retaliation for what it says were repeated cross-border attacks by militants operating from Afghan territory. Afghan authorities, however, deny that they are harboring armed groups responsible for violence inside Pakistan and accuse Islamabad of violating Afghan sovereignty. Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Mohammad Asif, used unusua...