Pakistan defence minister says country in 'open war' with Afghanistan after strikes

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete February 27, 2026 at 02:19 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

Following months of clashes and a failed ceasefire, Pakistan's defense minister declared the country is in "open war" with Afghanistan after Pakistan launched airstrikes on Afghan targets. The strikes, which hit Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktika, were a response to what Pakistan called "unprovoked Afghan attacks," including an offensive by the Afghan Taliban that claimed to have captured Pakistani military posts and killed dozens of soldiers. Pakistan stated its strikes targeted Taliban fighters and military positions, resulting in over 200 deaths, while the Taliban reported significantly lower casualties. The Afghan Taliban also claimed to have launched retaliatory strikes on Pakistani military positions. Both sides accuse the other of initiating hostilities and exaggerating inflicted damage.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Chaman 30% Helmand 40% Paktika 50% Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry 50% Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 50% Zabihullah Mujahid 60% Kandahar ×260% Kabul 60% Khawaja Muhammad Asif 70% Taliban ×680% Pakistan ×1190% Afghanistan ×490%

Keywords

pakistan 90% afghanistan 90% open war 90% airstrikes 80% taliban 80% border clashes 70% military posts 60% khyber pakhtunkhwa 50% ceasefire 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source

BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Pakistan

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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pakistan afghanistan open war airstrikes taliban border clashes military posts khyber pakhtunkhwa ceasefire

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