New Delhi: Pakistan has declared “open war” against the Taliban government of Afghanistan. The country’s capital Kabul and 2 other provinces were hit by bombs on early Friday morning. These bombings were carried out by Pakistan. This is the latest in the latest escalation of violence that the region has seen in recent times.
The bombings of Kabul and Kandahar came, just hours after the Afghan forces attacked the Pakistan border troops in the area. The Taliban had claimed that these attacks against the troops were in retaliation for the airstrikes carried out by Pakistan, earlier in the week.
‘Patience has reached its limit’: Pakistan
The Pakistan Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif in a post on ‘X’ declared open war on neighbouring Afghanistan. He wrote on the social media platform, “Our patience has reached its limit. Now it is open war between us and you.”
Following the escalation of violence between the 2 sides, military spokespersons of both Afghanistan and Pakistan claimed to have killed dozens of each other’s soldiers. The clashes on the border between the 2 countries have risen manifold in recent months, leading to strained ties between the once friendly countries.
Explosions in Kabul
According to reports in the international media, at least 3 explosions were heard in Kabul. However they could not confirm the exact location of these airstrikes or if there were any casualties.
The Taliban spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the attack, saying that Pakistan also carried out airstrikes in Kandahar to the south and in the southeastern province of Paktia. He informed that Afghanistan had launched attacks on Pakistan in retaliation of the recent airstrikes by the Pakistani military. They also claimed to have captured a dozen Pakistani posts.