A series of clashes between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban escalated sharply by February 27, 2026. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said the sides were now in an “open war,” after which Islamabad launched an operation called “Righteous Wrath”. According to Pakistan, the trigger was attacks by Afghan forces on border positions and militant activity operating from Afghan territory.
Kabul, by contrast, described the fighting as a response to Pakistani airstrikes on the Afghan provinces of Paktia and Nangarhar carried out on February 22. Pakistan said it had targeted camps of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and Islamic State. Al Jazeera reported that 70 militants were killed, while the Taliban said women and children were among the dead.
“Our patience has run out. Now there is an open war between us,” Khawaja Asif wrote on X.
The Taliban said they had seized 19 Pakistani posts and two bases, and reported 55 Pakistani soldiers killed. Islamabad acknowledged the deaths of at least 12 troops and injuries to 27 others. Reuters, citing sources in Pakistan, reported 22 Taliban fatalities. Later, the Pakistani military said 274 Taliban fighters had been killed and more than 400 wounded, while the Afghan side reported eight dead and 11 injured.
According to analyst Ruslan Suleimanov, the crisis reflects long-running disputes over the Durand Line, mutual accusations of supporting militants, refugee tensions, and deepening mistrust since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Even so, he argues that despite the harsh rhetoric and Pakistan’s overwhelming military advantage, including its nuclear status, the sides are unlikely to pursue a war “to the bitter end” because of strong trade ties and the extreme cost of such a conflict.