Pakistan bomb Taliban govment targets for Afghanistan big cities overnight, officials from both kontris tok on Friday, and Pakistan defence minister call di conflict “open war”.
Security sources for Pakistan tok say di strikes involve air to ground missile attacks on Taliban military offices and posts for Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia, plus ground clashes for many sectors along di border between di two Islamic kontris.
Di Taliban tok say dem launch wetin dem describe as retaliatory attacks on Pakistani military installations.
Both sides report heavy losses, but dem give different figures wey Reuters no fit verify independently.
“Our cup of patience don overflow. Now e don turn open war between us and una (Afghanistan),” Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif tok on Friday.
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad don strong well bicos of quarrel over Pakistan accusation say Afghanistan dey harbour militants wey dey carry out attacks across di border. Di Taliban don deny di charge and tok say Pakistan security na internal problem.
Di strikes on Taliban govment installations na major escalation, and e fit cause long conflict along di 2,600 km (1,615 mile) frontier.
Taliban tok-tok pesin Zabihullah Mujahid confam say Pakistani forces carry out air strikes for parts of Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia but e no give details.
Kandahar na di headquarters of di Taliban and na di city wia supreme spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada dey stay.
Video wey Pakistani security officials share show flashes of light for night from firing along di border and di sound of heavy artillery.
One video of strikes on Kabul, wey Reuters fit verify di location, show thick plumes of black smoke dey rise from two sites and massive blaze for part of di capital.
Anoda video show one building wey dey burn, and officials tok say na Taliban headquarters for Paktia province.
“Pakistani counter strikes against targets in Afghanistan dey kontinu,” one Pakistani govment spokesperson, Mosharraf Zaidi, tok for one post on X, describe di action as response to “unprovoked Afghan attacks.”
Gunfire near key border crossing – AFP
Gunfire and shelling bin dey earlier on Friday for one major border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, news agency AFP report.
Di Torkham crossing, wey connect di Pakistani city of Torkham and Afghanistan Nangarhar province, na key transport route for pipo and goods between di two countries.
Di land border between di two kontris don mostly dey closed since border clashes start last October, except for di Torkham crossing wey be one of di few places wey remain open.
Plenty Afghans don use di crossing return home from Pakistan, wia dem don face serious pressure and bad living conditions.
One camp wey dey house returnees near di crossing bin collect mortar shell overnight wey wound seven refugees one of dem serious one provincial official tell AFP.
One Afghan returnee tell AFP say he “see blood” and wounded children and women, while anoda say evribodi run commot in hurry.
‘We tink say na earthquake, den we hear one loud explosion’ – Kabul resident tok
One resident of Dashti Barchi for Kabul District 6, wey dey near di area wey dem report say Pakistani airstrike hit last night, tell me say im house shake strong because of explosion from one of di strikes.
“First, we tink say na earthquake, bicos earthquake happun for Kabul few days ago,” he tok. “Den we hear loud explosion.”
Di resident, wey we no fit name for safety reasons, add say pipo for Dashti Barchi rush commot outside immediately and stay awake all night. “Nobodi sleep afta dat. Evribodi fear.”
E tok say jets bin dey fly over Kabul shortly afta di explosion.
“When we see di jets for sky, we know say na Pakistani aircraft.”
Di targeted area na about 4 to 5 kilometres from im house, he tok.
“My wife and my parents fear well well. We no sleep all night.”
Afghan Taliban claims say dem kill 50 Pakistani soldiers
Taliban authorities for Afghanistan say dem don carry out retaliatory strikes against Pakistani border posts for east and south east of di kontri.
One spokesman for di Taliban govment, Zabiullah Mujahid, tell BBC say Afghan forces destroy 19 Pakistani border posts and detain some Pakistani soldiers.
E also claim say more dan 50 Pakistani troops don die.
No independent confirmation dey for those figures.
Meanwhile, Pakistan claim say dem destroy 27 border posts wey belong to di Afghan Taliban and say dem inflict heavy casualties on Taliban forces.
Pakistani strikes on govment facilities na big development – expert
Wat make di latest round of Pakistani strikes important na say dem target Taliban govment facilities instead of terrorist targets for Afghanistan, Michael Kugelman, senior fellow for South Asia for di Atlantic Council, tell BBC Newsday.
Dis mean “dem dey target di regime itself,” e tok.
Pakistan claim say Afghan Taliban dey harbour terrorists wey dey stage attacks for Pakistan. Even though diplomatic steps don happun to reduce tension, e never bring lasting solution.
Meanwhile Taliban rhetoric show say dem dey committed to “staging relentless attacks” on Pakistani side of di border, e tok, add say na “precarious situation” wey fit lead to real conflict.
Calls for de-escalation dey grow
Now, di UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, dey appeal for “calm and respect for international human rights & humanitarian law, especially protection of civilians.”
“Immediate de-escalation essential,” Bennett tok for X.
Earlier, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk don make similar calls.
China also calls for ‘dialogue and negotiation’ to end conflict between di two kontris.
China say e “deeply concerned” about di rising tensions along di Afghanistan-Pakistan border, according to di foreign ministry, as dem call on both sides to “settle differences and disputes through dialogue and negotiation.”
Dem add say China dey “work for mediation on di conflict through its own channels, and ready to continue to play constructive role for de-escalation and better bilateral relations.”
“As neighbour and friend, China deeply concerned over di escalation and sad about di casualties wey di conflict cause,” ministry spokesperson Mao Ning talk, add say “any escalation go cause harm and losses for both sides.”
Di statement add say ending hostilities dey “in di fundamental interests of di two countries and peoples, and fit help keep di region peaceful and stable.”
