How do Pakistan and Taliban Afghan militaries stack up as tensions flare? - Reuters

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivAFBVV95cUxONDN4VDdZUlFHNnU4NklSaVZRSUg5eXpIUjFuNFdaclprY3JQYVZrR0Z5N09idWYwck5qRENYNndtZTBIU3Nfd3N4MEFqVllfcnF5Q2hsazBfMGxnSDR1bHZFSUJSdGs0R3ZLZVpwRTR5WENOSlJ6cGlGNFk0NkJFM2I0TGtjQ0F2OWFzSVhTazc2Qnd0M09FNnQyUXRLOWc1SzBRRm1LWkJQR2RyVWM1MFliT19hNWN2MEQwbg?oc=5" target="_blank">How do Pakistan and Taliban Afghan militaries stack up as tensions flare?</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>

Pakistan launched airstrikes on Kabul and other Afghan cities, with Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declaring an 'open war' against Afghanistan following months of escalating tensions.

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared an 'open war' with Afghanistan following cross-border airstrikes and escalating tensions along the Durand Line.

Pakistan's military killed 34 militants in raids near the Afghan border, while an ambush in Bajaur killed four police officers, highlighting escalating tensions.

A drone attack on a security post in Karak, Pakistan, followed by an ambush on ambulances, resulted in three deaths, with suspicions of Pakistani Taliban involvement.

Pakistan carried out strikes in Kabul and Kandahar, the base of Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, as well as in the eastern border region of Paktia, according to officials in both nations. On Friday, the Afghan Ministry of Defense said it launched strikes against military targets in Islamabad and Abbottabad, following an earlier announcement of strikes on Pakistani border positions. Both sides claimed their strikes were retaliatory.

On February 27, 2026, tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated dangerously as Pakistan launched overnight airstrikes on Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktiya, targeting purported Taliban military sites. This action was a response to an Afghan attack on Pakistani border military facilities, which itself was in retaliation for a previous Pakistani airstrike reportedly killing 13 Afghan civilians. Both countries exchanged accusations and engaged in a cycle of retaliatory strikes, with conflicting casualty claims—Pakistan asserting minimal losses, while Afghanistan reported significant Pakistani casualties and captures.