Pakistan launches Operation Ghazab, Declaring Open War against Afghanistan after carrying out airstrikes.
The Taliban government claimed that its forces killed and captured a number of Pakistani soldiers during a cross-border attack, provoking Pakistan to declare an open war against Afghanistan. Pakistan's Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, stated on social media on Friday that the country's tolerance has run out and that the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan is now open.
Following a new wave of fighting between the two sides, Pakistan launched airstrikes against Afghan cities, including Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia. "Our patience has reached its limit," Asif wrote on X, announcing the change in stance. “We are currently in open war with you." The statement was made at a time when tensions between Pakistan and Kabul were at an all-time low due to escalating hostilities.
In reaction to what it described as previous violations of Afghan territory by Pakistani forces, Afghanistan's Ministry of National Defense said that it had begun offensive operations around 8:00 PM on February 26, which corresponds to the ninth day of Ramadan. According to the ministry, during the response, two bases, 19 posts, and 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed.
Pakistan, on the other hand, announced a counter-operation known as 'Ghazab Lil Haq' that will target militant infrastructure related to the Afghan Taliban. According to the reports, Prime Minister's spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi claimed that 133 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed, over 200 were injured, and 27 Taliban bases were destroyed, with nine taken.
The number of victims, however, is still up for debate because the two countries published wildly varied figures, with one downplaying its own losses while claiming significant losses were inflicted on the other. Civilians living close to the border have also been impacted by the intensifying war. Both sides of the border had to evacuate after shells hit regions close to the Torkham crossing, injuring refugees.
