Escalating Conflict: Pakistan Bombs Afghanistan, Strikes Kabul and Taliban Camps

The situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan has reached a crisis point after Pakistan launched air and ground strikes on key targets in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, and other major cities, including Kandahar and Paktia. The Pakistani military claimed the attacks were a "legitimate retaliation" against Afghanistan’s unprovoked attacks, marking the largest escalation in months, amid growing tensions over the crackdown on the TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) militant group, which Pakistan alleges is hiding in Afghanistan.

Rising Casualties: Conflicting Reports from Both Sides

Both Pakistan and the Taliban reported vastly different casualty figures, and independent verification from neutral sources is yet to be confirmed:

• Pakistan’s Claim: Pakistan claims to have killed 133 Taliban fighters and injured over 200, with 27 Taliban bases destroyed and 9 more seized.
• Taliban’s Claim: The Taliban reports that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 19 bases were seized, while only 8 Taliban fighters were killed, and 13 civilians were injured in Nangarhar province.

The Cause of the Conflict and Ground Situation

Witnesses in Kabul reported hearing loud explosions across the city, followed by the sound of numerous ambulance sirens. Security videos from Pakistan revealed intense artillery fire along the 2,600-kilometer border. The conflict stems from longstanding tensions:

• Allegations of Terrorist Sheltering: Pakistan has accused the Taliban of harboring the TTP, a group responsible for attacks within Pakistan.
• Revenge Attacks: The Taliban stated that the artillery strikes on Pakistani military camps on Thursday were revenge for Pakistan’s drone attacks on refugee camps earlier in the week.

The recent violence has led to the collapse of a fragile ceasefire agreement and is now threatening to escalate into a full-scale war between the two neighboring countries in South Asia.