Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live updates: Islamabad says 274 Taliban fighters killed; Kabul claims 55 Pakistani soldiers dead

Pakistan has claimed that 274 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed and many others wounded in its latest military offensive, as tensions with Afghanistan sharply escalated.

Warning Kabul against further retaliation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the armed forces have the ability to “crush any aggressive ambitions,” while Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared that “our patience has reached its limit,” describing the situation as “open war.”

Fresh gunfire and shelling were reported near the key Torkham border crossing, according to AFP journalists. Incoming fire was heard from the Afghan side around 9:30 am (0500 GMT) on Friday, followed by cross-border exchanges.

Fighter jets from the Pakistani Air Force were reported to be patrolling the skies over Afghanistan’s Kandahar region, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper said, citing state media. Security sources were quoted as saying that the armed forces were “fully prepared for any aggression” and capable of delivering a strong response.

Overnight, both sides accused each other of heavy losses and launched retaliatory strikes across the disputed frontier. Explosions and gunfire were reported in Kabul and Kandahar as leaders in Islamabad and Kabul traded accusations.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defence said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory operations along the Durand Line on Thursday. The 2,611-km frontier — known as the Durand Line — has never been formally recognised by Afghanistan and has long been a source of friction between the two neighbours.

In a statement, the Afghan ministry said the operation began at 8:00 pm on the 9th of Ramadan, corresponding to February 26, and was carried out in response to what it described as a violation of Afghan territory by Pakistani forces days earlier. Afghan troops reportedly targeted Pakistani military posts near Paktika, Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, Kunar and Nuristan provinces.

Pakistan calls strikes ‘befitting response’

Islamabad rejected Kabul’s claims. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the strikes were a “befitting response” to what he termed “open aggression” by Afghan forces.

Pakistan’s information ministry said Afghan troops had opened “unprovoked fire” on multiple locations across the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, adding that the attacks were being met with an “immediate and effective response.”

10 key developments

1. Pakistan carried out airstrikes on major Afghan cities, including Kabul and Kandahar, prompting retaliation from the Taliban government.

2. Afghan forces launched cross-border attacks, calling them retaliation for earlier air raids.

3. Kabul claimed 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a four-hour operation along the Durand Line, and said two bases and 19 posts were captured.

4. Afghan authorities said eight of their fighters were killed and 11 injured, and alleged that 13 civilians were wounded in a missile strike on a refugee camp in Nangarhar.

5. Pakistan disputed the figures, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar reportedly saying two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three injured.

6. Islamabad claimed at least 133 Afghan fighters were killed and more than 200 wounded, and said 27 Afghan posts were destroyed and nine captured.

7. Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil Haq, describing it as a retaliatory campaign following alleged Taliban attacks on border posts.

8. Khawaja Asif warned of an “all-out confrontation,” saying: “Our patience has reached its limit. Now it is open war between us and you.”

9. Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan’s forces could “crush any aggressive ambitions,” while Mohsin Naqvi described the strikes as a “befitting response.”

10. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged both sides to protect civilians under international law and resolve their differences through dialogue as tensions continued to spiral.