Pakistan bombed major cities in Afghanistan including the capital Kabul, on Friday, with Islamabad's defence minister declaring the neighbours at "open war" following months of tit-for-tat clashes. Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to act against militant groups that carry out attacks in Pakistan, which the Taliban government denies. Both militaries said they killed dozens of soldiers in the latest round of border violence, which followed multiple Pakistani strikes on Afghanistan and clashes along the frontier in recent months. The Afghan defence ministry reported eight of its soldiers had been killed in the land offensive. After repeated breaches of the initial ceasefire, Saudi Arabia intervened this month, mediating the release of three Pakistani soldiers captured by Afghanistan in October.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 27, 2026 03:46 UTC