In a dramatic escalation threatening to ignite an open border conflict, the Afghan Ministry of Defense under the Taliban government announced yesterday (Saturday) large-scale attacks on Pakistani military positions near the border, claiming it was a direct response to “Pakistani aerial aggression” launched by Islamabad in recent days on Afghan territory.

The ministry’s official statement confirmed the attacks targeted military convoys and training centers in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, resulting in the killing of dozens of Pakistani soldiers and destruction of equipment, according to initial claims.

This escalation follows Pakistani airstrikes that caused explosions in Kabul and Paktika, deepening tensions between the two rival countries and raising fears of a wider regional war involving groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.

The Afghan-Pakistani border, extending over 2600 kilometers and known as the “Durand Line” drawn in 1893, has witnessed ongoing tensions for decades, serving as a safe haven for armed groups, especially since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.

Pakistan accuses the Taliban government of supporting the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, an allied group with the Afghan Taliban, which carries out daily attacks on Pakistani forces, resulting in the death of over 600 Pakistani soldiers in 2025 alone.

The current escalation began on October 8 with a Taliban attack on a Pakistani military convoy near the border, killing 11 Pakistani soldiers, followed by Pakistani airstrikes on October 9 in Kabul and Paktika targeting Taliban leaders such as Noor Wali Mehsud, causing explosions and Afghan claims of civilian casualties.