Pakistan declares war on Afghanistan
AFP reports today: The Pakistani government declared a state of "open war" against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan on Friday (February 27), following an offensive by Afghanistan at the border the day before. In retaliation, Pakistan bombed multiple Afghan targets, including the capital.
On Thursday, Afghan authorities announced a "large-scale attack" at the border. Within two hours, more than 15 Pakistani outposts were captured. This attack was in response to Pakistan's air strikes over the weekend. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said that the air strikes last week were the largest since October, causing at least 13 civilian deaths. The Taliban government, however, stated that at least 18 people died. Subsequently, Pakistan struck multiple Afghan targets at night, including the major cities of Kabul and Kandahar.
Comment: Pakistan's declaration of open war against Afghanistan was directly triggered by Afghanistan's sudden attack on Pakistani border outposts, causing significant losses. The deeper conflict lies in Pakistan's long-standing accusation that the Afghan Taliban shelter Pakistani Taliban and other armed groups, and tolerate cross-border terrorist attacks. After repeated warnings proved ineffective, Pakistan finally lost patience. This conflict has escalated from border skirmishes to air strikes on core cities like Kabul and Kandahar. The intensity of this confrontation has exceeded previous levels, indicating that the two countries have moved from friction to full-scale confrontation. Regional security situations have deteriorated sharply, the risk of civilian casualties has surged, and terrorist groups may take advantage of the situation to grow stronger, posing a serious challenge to the stability of South Asia.
Escalation of Border Conflicts between Pakistan and Afghanistan
Original: toutiao.com/article/1858280113837579/
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