Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said the country is in “open war” with Afghanistan’s Taliban government after escalating border clashes. Pakistani officials claimed airstrikes hit targets in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia, while Afghan authorities reported casualties and counterattacks along the frontier.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the armed forces would “resolutely resist any attack” and defend national sovereignty. The United Nations, as well as Russia and Iran, urged both sides to de-escalate and resolve the crisis through dialogue.