On the night between Thursday 26 and Friday 27 February, the Pakistani air force attacked numerous Taliban positions in Afghanistan, in the cities of Kabul, Kandahar and the province of Paktika. According to the authorities in Islamabad, 9 positions were captured, with the death of 228 Afghan Taliban, a toll that could continue to rise. However, according to Afghan sources, numerous civilians were killed in the air attack, including women and children. The Pakistani defense minister declared that Pakistan is in “open war”, while the Kabul government “vehemently condemns the violation of Afghan airspace and the attack on civilians, a flagrant violation of Afghanistan’s territorial integrity and a provocative action”. These events occur a few months after the last crisis between the two countries in October 2025.
The causes of the attack
The Defense Minister of PakistanKhawaja Mohammad Asif, through a post published on the social network X, announced that between Pakistan and Afghanistan we have now reached a phase of open war. The night bombings conducted by Pakistan on the night between 26 and 27 February occurred in a context of already strong tension and conflict between the two countries. In the previous weeks, and in particular on the night between 21 and 22 February, the Pakistani armed forces had attacked some Afghan provinces, including Nangarhar, in particular targeting alleged training camps which – according to Pakistani sources – could be traced back to extremist groups of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) And Islamic State – Khorasan Province (Iskp). Pakistan, in fact, accuses the Taliban government of supporting anti-Pakistani terrorist groups, including groups linked to the independence movement of the south-eastern region of Baluchistan, held responsible for suicide attacks on Pakistani territory, accusations always rejected by the Kabul government. Islamabad also said it acted in response to an attack launched by Afghan forces on Pakistani border troops, an escalation that reflects months of escalating tensions along the Durand Line, the long border between the two countries. Following the clashes in October 2025, which caused around 70 victims, most border crossings between the two countries were closed for security reasons, temporarily interrupting trade and cross-border exchanges.
The latest crisis between Afghanistan and Pakistan in October 2025
In October 2025, a serious crisis occurred between Afghanistan and Pakistan: the militant group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also nicknamed “Pakistan Taliban” and present in eastern Afghanistan, were the subject of numerous military reprisals by Pakistan, one of the most violent on the night between 8 and 9 October 2025, which was followed by clashes along the border between the two countries. These tensions then saw a phase of diplomatic negotiation with the mediation of Türkiye and Qatar. The result was a brittle cease-fire, which however did not really achieve the objective of a lasting agreement between the two countries.
Pakistani Defense Minister Asif accuses the Taliban regime of undermining Pakistan’s internal stability and regional security, maintaining close ties with the government in New Delhi, to “export terrorism to Pakistan” and fearing that Afghanistan could ally itself with India to create tension within the country by leveraging the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) military group.
International reactions: Iran as mediator, the United Nations invites dialogue
Following last night’s Pakistani attack, the Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid he declared that he was open to dialogue and wanted to collaborate in finding a peaceful solution through negotiations. Meanwhile, numerous international actors have intervened to call for de-escalation and to begin negotiations. The Russian Foreign Ministry Lavrov called on Pakistan and Afghanistan to immediately stop fighting and try to use diplomatic channels. An invitation to de-escalation also came from the United Nations, from Secretary General Antonio Guterres and human rights chief Volker Türk, who appealed for dialogue and respect for human rights and above all international law. The Islamic Republic of Iran instead voluntarily offered itself as a mediator, through a post on social media X by the Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi. Even the China through the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mao Ningexpressed his concern about the escalation of the conflict and his willingness to continue to play a “constructive role in the diplomatic dialogue between the two countries.”
