Pakistan Air Force F-16B fighters
“Our patience has run out.” Pakistan declared this Friday that it had entered into “open war” with Afghanistan after fighting on the border between the two countries. Islamabad says it will “reduce to dust” any aggression from Kabul.
O Pakistan bombed during the night Taliban government forces in Afghanistan’s major cities, and described the situation as “open war“, increasing tensions in an unstable and nuclear-armed region.
According to , Pakistani attacks hit the capital Kabul and the city of Kandahar, where Taliban leaders are based. This is the first time that Islamabad attacks the Taliban instead of militants allegedly supported by them, a drastic rupture in relations between the Islamic neighbors.
“Our patience has run out. From now on, we go to war with you”, wrote the Pakistani Defense Minister, Khawaja Asifaddressing Afghanistan in a message on the social network X.
Asif later warned that the army has “full capacity to reduce any aggressive ambition to dust”, in the first official reaction after the declaration of “open war by the country against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
“The entire nation is standing, shoulder to shoulder with the Armed Forces”stated Muhammad Shehbaz Sharifin a series of messages published on the social network X, highlighting that Pakistani troops carry out their duties “with national fervor” under the leadership of Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
The Pakistani Prime Minister insisted that there will be no “no commitment in defense of the beloved homeland and Pakistan will respond firmly” to any incursion.
“Our forces are equipped with professional capabilitiessuperior education and an effective defensive strategy to face any internal or external challenge,” said Sharif.
“The entire nation is standing shoulder to shoulder with the Armed Forces“, said Sharif, in a series of messages published on the social network X, highlighting that Pakistani troops perform functions “with national fervor” under the leadership of Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
The declaration by the head of Government constitutes a political milestone in climbing war following last week’s attacks in Islamabad against alleged refuges of the TTP insurgent group, Pakistani Taliban movementon Afghan soil.
The crisis had the Taliban response a series of attacks on the border between the two countries, coordinated by Kabul on Thursday night, and Islamabad’s subsequent reaction, with the bombing of the Afghan capital and clashes on the Durand Line, the border demarcation.
According to Pakistan, the Islamabad attacks caused death of 133 Taliban and more than 200 injured, while the Afghan Ministry of Defense estimated its own casualties at eight combatants killed and eleven injured, in addition to thirteen civilians affected by the bombings.
Already the Taliban claim to have killed 55 Pakistani soldiershave in custody 23 bodies of Pakistani soldiers and an undetermined number of prisoners.
