Afghan and Pakistani forces traded airstrikes and artillery fire along the Durand Line on Thursday night, killing dozens on both sides, as Pakistan’s defence minister warned the two countries were now in “open war” after months of escalating clashes.
The fighting erupted after Afghan forces targeted Pakistani military posts in eastern border provinces. Afghan officials said the attacks were in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes in Nangarhar and Paktika earlier this week.
Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said: “In response to the continued aggressions of Pakistan’s military regime, extensive retaliatory offensive operations have commenced against Pakistani military centres and installations along the Durand Line.”
Clashes were reported in Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kunar, Khost, Paktia and Paktika. Mujahid later said 13 Afghan security personnel were killed and 22 wounded in a four-hour battle.
The Afghan Ministry of National Defence claimed 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed, and that two bases and 19 posts were captured. “The assigned objectives were achieved as planned,” the ministry said.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said Taliban forces had “miscalculated and opened unprovoked fire” across the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, prompting an “immediate and effective response.” It claimed heavy Afghan casualties and said more than 200 Afghans died in subsequent airstrikes.
Early on Friday, Mujahid said Pakistani aircraft bombed locations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia but added that no one was harmed.
Islamabad has accused Kabul of harbouring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, a charge the Afghan government denies.
Iran’s foreign minister urged dialogue and offered to facilitate talks. Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi told counterparts in Qatar and Türkiye that Afghanistan “has consistently preferred resolving issues through understanding and mutual respect”.
The fighting has since ceased, but officials on both sides have warned that the situation remains fragile.
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An Iranian delegation has arrived in Islamabad for talks aimed at easing regional tensions, as Pakistan urged all sides to engage constructively. Meanwhile, the United States and Lebanon called on Israel to pause its attacks ahead of planned negotiations.
Amid fragile calm, António Guterres urged constructive U.S.- Iran talks, while Pope Leo XIV warned violence is spreading. Lebanon's President said an Israeli strike killed 13 security personnel in Nabatieh.
As Islamabad prepares to host crucial talks between the U.S. and Iran this Sunday, hopes for a sustained peace remain fragile, with fresh Israeli strikes in Lebanon casting doubt over already delicate negotiations.
Dubai has restricted foreign airlines to one daily flight to its airports until 31 May due to the Iran crisis, raising fears of significant revenue losses for Indian carriers, industry letters show.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has given an instruction for Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to continue dialogue and avoid steps that could worsen tensions after China-hosted talks in Urumqi, with Kabul and Beijing saying the meetings focused on easing differences and improving relations.
Amid fragile calm, António Guterres urged constructive U.S.- Iran talks, while Pope Leo XIV warned violence is spreading. Lebanon's President said an Israeli strike killed 13 security personnel in Nabatieh.
Memorial events were held in Tehran’s main squares on Wednesday (8 April) to mark the 40th day since the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died during U.S.-Israeli attacks on 28 February.
Dubai has restricted foreign airlines to one daily flight to its airports until 31 May due to the Iran crisis, raising fears of significant revenue losses for Indian carriers, industry letters show.
Australia and Singapore have agreed to deepen cooperation on energy security as global fuel markets come under strain from disruption linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
Donald Trump’s flagship plan for post-war Gaza has come under scrutiny after reports that its financing is falling short of expectations, claims firmly rejected by the White House-backed Board of Peace.
A charity co-founded by Prince Harry in honour of his late mother, Princess Diana, is suing him for libel at the High Court in London, according to a court record published on Friday (10 April).
The European Union and Washington are nearing an agreement to coordinate the production and security of critical minerals, Bloomberg News reported on Friday (10 April).
In a forceful rebuke to Washington’s foreign policy in the Americas, a senior Russian diplomat has declared that Moscow will never abandon Cuba, pledging ongoing support to help the Communist-run island overcome a severe energy crisis linked to the United States embargo.
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