The long-simmering tensions between Islamabad and Kabul boiled over with volatility today, February 27, 2026. After a series of cross-border skirmishes and raids, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fired several airstrikes on key Afghan hubs, including Kabul. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif described the situation as an “open war” and said it marked the turning point from localized skirmishes at the border to a full-scale regional war.
Operation 'Ghazab lil-Haq': The Strikes on Kabul
The PAF's aerial campaign reportedly codenamed Operation Ghazab lil-Haq (Wrath for the Truth)—was launched following Pakistan's accusations that Afghan Taliban forces were engaging in "unprovoked aggression" along the Durand Line.
- Targeting the Capital: At least three massive explosions reportedly rocked the city of Kabul in the early hours of Friday morning, witnessing at least three explosions rock the city. The number of casualties for the Kabul strike remains under investigation but early reports from the combat zone indicate that the total death toll of this week's escalations has exceeded 130, consisting of both militants and civilians.
- Beyond Kabul: Strikes also were reported in the Kandahar and Paktika provinces, which Islamabad says were command centers for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and allied cells.
- The Retaliation: The Taliban’s Ministry of Defense said its troops had demolished or seized more than a dozen Pakistani border posts and killed 40 soldiers in ground counter-fire strikes before the aerial bombardments.
Videos: Pakistani Air Force carries out precise airstrikes in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktika, Afghanistan. (Pakistani Information Minister) pic.twitter.com/fx1CcZ3g0r
— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) February 27, 2026
A Surge in Mortality and Humanitarian Concern
The humanitarian price of this escalation has been mounting quite rapidly. Earlier strikes this week in Nangarhar were confirmed to have killed at least 13 civilians, including women and children; one family reportedly lost 18 members in a single blow. Pakistan’s Minister for Information, Attaullah Tarar, said its operations are “intelligence-based and selective” and focused only on neutralising terror threats that have haunted Pakistan’s cities throughout February. The Taliban government has, however, denounced the strikes as a "blatant violation of sovereignty," promising a "measured and appropriate reaction".
Impact on Regional Stability
The fighting has effectively ended a tenuous Qatar-mediated ceasefire in place since late 2025. With the land borders now largely blocked off and both countries mobilizing heavy artillery, the threat of a wider humanitarian crisis in Central Asia is at the highest level in years.
