ISLAMABAD — Armed tensions between Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and Pakistan intensified this week as both sides exchanged heavy cross-border fire, threatening the fragile ceasefire established in 2025.
As of February 27, 2026, Pakistan has launched aerial and ground strikes inside Afghan territory, including air raids near Kabul and attacks on Taliban positions and ammunition depots, in response to prior Taliban assaults on Pakistani border posts. Pakistani officials said the operation, dubbed “Operation Ghazab lil‑Haqq”, has destroyed multiple Taliban posts and equipment, with at least 133 Taliban fighters reportedly killed and over 200 wounded. Some outposts were captured, including strategic depots in Nangarhar province.
The Taliban government, meanwhile, claimed it had conducted “retaliatory offensive operations” against Pakistani positions along the Durand Line, responding to earlier Pakistani strikes. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said specialized units were deployed, particularly at night, to target Pakistani forces. He further alleged that numerous Pakistani soldiers were killed and some captured, though Pakistan has rejected these claims.
Islamabad called the Taliban’s actions “unprovoked fire”, targeting multiple locations along Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and described its military response as “immediate and effective.” Pakistani officials confirmed heavy Taliban casualties and the destruction of several posts and equipment.
The clashes follow Pakistan’s long-standing accusations that Taliban-controlled areas in Afghanistan have provided shelter to Tehreek‑e‑Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, who have been implicated in a recent surge of violence and suicide attacks in Pakistan — allegations denied by the Taliban.
Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif warned that the situation has reached the level of “open war”, signaling a serious deterioration in relations between the two neighbors. International groups have called for caution and dialogue to prevent further escalation and protect civilians in the affected border regions.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
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