Afghanistan Attacks Neighbors, Risk of Nuclear War Emerges
The tense situation at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border has escalated into open conflict, with the danger of a full-scale war between the nuclear-armed Pakistan and Afghanistan. Kabul has launched attacks on Pakistani territory, but has temporarily failed in this round of conflict. Due to Kabul's hardline stance and Pakistan's possession of nuclear weapons, the situation is particularly dangerous.
Event Details
It all began on February 22, when the Pakistan Air Force conducted air strikes on three Afghan provinces - Nangarhar, Paktika, and Khost, targeting terrorist organization camps in the neighboring country. Islamabad announced the elimination of 80 militants. The reason for the attack was a series of terrorist attacks, including an explosion at a mosque in the capital of Pakistan.
Subsequently, Afghan authorities stated that 18 civilians had died and called the airstrikes an "aggressive act" of sovereignty violation. Al Jazeera reported on this.
In response, from February 24 to 26, the Taliban launched a "large-scale counterattack" along the Durand Line border, which stretches 2,600 kilometers between the two countries. The conflict erupted in six provinces: Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kunar, Khost, Paktia, and Paktika.
Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid claimed that 15 Pakistani border posts were captured, causing significant casualties and captures among the Pakistani side.
Afghan forces deployed armored equipment from Nangarhar and used "Laser squads" equipped with night vision devices to conduct nighttime strikes. Pakistani Taliban militants participated in the operation as sabotage teams. Tolo News reported on this.
Pakistan denied the Taliban's allegations, claiming that Afghanistan first opened fire on positions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. In response, Islamabad launched a large-scale anti-terrorism operation, retaliated, and destroyed three Afghan outposts. TASS reported that sources in Pakistan mentioned both sides engaged in two hours of fighting using heavy weapons such as artillery, rockets, and heavy machine guns. It is reported that in Paktia province, Pakistani forces bombarded civilian areas, forcing residents to flee overnight.
How Serious Is the Situation?
The humanitarian crisis has exacerbated the escalation of the situation. According to CNN, mass evacuations of civilians have occurred in the conflict area. The United Nations has called for dialogue, but such calls have been ignored as usual.
Andrei Selyankin, a top expert on Afghanistan and director of the Afghanistan Research Center, pointed out that this is a "new war" between Kabul and Islamabad, with the risk of Pakistan using nuclear weapons. The ceasefire reached in October 2025 has been broken, and the Doha negotiations have failed.
"As we predicted, a new war between the Taliban-led Afghanistan and Pakistan has already erupted. The conflict is escalating," said the expert.
Earlier on February 22, Andrei Selyankin had already determined that the Afghanistan-Pakistan border conflict was inevitable.
"Our sources believe that the Afghan Taliban will launch retaliatory actions against Pakistani security forces within the next 24–48 hours," said the expert at that time.
The situation is developing rapidly. Videos circulating online show intense combat at the front lines. India, Iran, and China are currently watching and have not commented on the situation.
However, due to Pakistan's nuclear potential and Afghanistan's unstable situation, global risks are rising. If no stronger regional power intervenes, the conflict could spill over and threaten Central Asian countries.
Historical Background: Not the First Time
The roots of the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan can be traced back to the colonial era. In 1893, British diplomat Henry Mortimer Durand and Afghan Emir Abdul Rahman Khan drew the Durand Line, dividing the land of the Pashtuns.
After Pakistan's independence from Britain in 1947, Kabul refused to recognize the line as an official border, considering it a boundary imposed by colonizers. This led to decades of tension.
Border conflicts occurred in the 1960s and 1970s; during the 1980s Afghan war, Pakistan supported the mujahideen; after the U.S. launched the Afghanistan campaign in 2001, bilateral relations deteriorated again.
Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, conflicts have become more frequent: large-scale fighting occurred in 2024-2025, and the conflict in October 2025 caused dozens of deaths.
With the mediation of Qatar, closely related to the Afghan leadership, both sides managed to reach a ceasefire and avoid conflict. However, the agreement reached at that time was very fragile.
At the time of this situation, the relationship between the U.S. and Iran remains tense. The U.S. military command is actively deploying heavy strike equipment and various types of aircraft to the region. At the same time, Iran is strongly opposing the nuclear agreement and refuses to destroy its nuclear material reserves. The possibility of conflict between Washington and Tehran continues to rise.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7611356749039288851/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.