Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers said on Friday (27 February) they were ready to negotiate after Pakistan bombed their forces in several Afghan cities, including Kabul and Kandahar, and Islamabad declared the neighbours were now in "open war".
Pakistan struck the Afghan capital, Kabul, and the southern city of Kandahar where senior Taliban leaders are based, and several other towns, according to a Taliban spokesman.
The attacks marked the first time Islamabad directly targeted Afghanistan’s governing authorities over accusations that the country harbours militants seeking to topple Pakistan’s government.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said there were civilian casualties but gave no figures.
Thick black smoke rose from two sites in Kabul and a large blaze was seen in video that Reuters said it had verified.
Witnesses in the city reported ambulance sirens after loud blasts and the sound of jets.
Kabul taxi driver Tamim said: "A plane came and dropped two bombs, then flew away. After that, we heard explosions. Everyone panicked and ran down from the second floor of the house."
He said an ammunition depot had been struck and that explosions continued as stored ordnance ignited.
Security sources in Pakistan said the operation involved air-to-ground missile attacks on Taliban military offices and posts.
It followed Afghan attacks on Thursday that Pakistan described as unprovoked, saying its operation was a direct retaliation for assaults on its border posts.
The latest cycle of violence began last weekend when Pakistan carried out strikes on Afghan territory, prompting retaliatory Afghan attacks along the border on Thursday and raising tensions to their highest level in months.
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of sheltering Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters and says TTP leaders use Afghan territory to plan cross-border assaults.
Afghanistan denies this and argues that Pakistan is deflecting blame for its own security problems. The United Nations has said TTP and the Taliban in Afghanistan are linked, a claim Kabul rejects.
Taliban spokesman Mujahid said Pakistani strikes hit parts of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia on Thursday night and then struck Paktia, Paktika, Khost and Laghman on Friday.
Afghan drone strikes began late on Thursday on Pakistani military positions and installations in northwest Pakistan along their shared frontier. Islamabad said its operation killed 274 Taliban officials and militants. Afghanistan said it killed 55 Pakistani soldiers. Reuters could not independently verify either claim.
Pakistan confirmed that 12 of its own soldiers were killed. Afghanistan said it lost 13 Taliban fighters.
The Taliban said their leadership was prepared to negotiate.
Zabihullah Mujahid said, "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has always tried to resolve issues through dialogue, and now also we want to resolve this matter through dialogue."
Pakistan’s defence minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, said, "Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and you (Afghanistan)."
Pakistan’s foreign ministry warned that any new Taliban provocations or attempts by any "terrorist group" to target Pakistanis would be met with a "measured, decisive and befitting response."
Pakistan is nuclear-armed and has far greater military capabilities, though the Taliban remain experienced in guerrilla warfare after decades of fighting U.S.-led forces.
International reactions mounted. UN Secretary-General António Guterres was described as "deeply concerned by the escalation of violence" and its impact on civilians, his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said.
Dujarric added, "He calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and reiterates his call on the parties to resolve any differences through diplomacy."
The United States expressed support for Pakistan. A State Department spokesman said, "The United States supports Pakistan's right to defend itself against attacks from the Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group."
The spokesman added: "The Taliban have consistently failed to uphold their counter-terrorism commitments, allowing violence to destabilise the region while terrorist groups use Afghanistan as a launching pad for their heinous attacks."
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, urged both sides to ease tensions.
She said: "The EU reiterates that Afghan territory must not be used to threaten or attack other countries and calls on the Afghan de facto authorities to take effective action against all terrorist groups operating in or from Afghanistan."
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi spoke with Qatar’s Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi, who previously helped stop clashes between the two sides.
Afghanistan said Qatar and other nations are now working to help resolve the crisis. In the call, Muttaqi said: "Afghanistan has never been a supporter of violence and has always preferred to resolve issues based on mutual understanding and respect."
Past clashes in October killed dozens of soldiers until negotiations facilitated by Türkiye, Qatar and Saudi Arabia halted the fighting.
The UN warned that nearly half of Afghanistan’s population, or 22 million people, already needs humanitarian aid and that the number will rise if hostilities continue.
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