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Pakistan strikes Kabul, declares ‘open war’ on Afghanistan following clashes

Pakistan strikes Kabul, declares ‘open war’ on Afghanistan following clashes
By Lyndal Rowlands, Erin Hale, Zaid Sabah, Umut Uras, Edna Mohamed and Nils Adler
Published On 27 Feb 2026

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27 Feb 2026 - 23:50
 (23:50 GMT)

Thanks for joining us

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For more on the fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan, watch our report here.

Watch how residents describe panic as Pakistan attacks Afghanistan in “open war” here.

And for more context, read our explainer on why Afghanistan and Pakistan are fighting here.

27 Feb 2026 - 23:25
 (23:25 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

We will soon be closing this live page. Here’s a look at the day’s main developments:

  • Mosharraf Zaidi, Pakistan’s prime minister’s spokesperson for foreign media, claims that 297 Afghan fighters have been killed, and more than 450 have been injured.
  • An Afghan spokesperson says 55 Pakistani soldiers have been killed and 19 posts seized. He added that eight Taliban fighters were killed, 11 wounded, and 13 civilians injured in Nangarhar province.
  • The figures could not be independently verified by Al Jazeera.
  • Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar says that the air strikes on Afghanistan targeted “military installations”, which were “completely destroyed”.
  • US President Donald Trump, in response to a question whether he would intervene in the conflict, has said, “Well, I would, but I get along with Pakistan, as you know, very well – very, very well”.
  • UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate ceasefire.
27 Feb 2026 - 23:00
 (23:00 GMT)
Infographic

Where has Pakistan struck in Afghanistan?

27 Feb 2026 - 22:40
 (22:40 GMT)

Photos: Afghanistan-Pakistan stokes concern in Karachi

A man reads a newspaper, following news of exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces, in a stall in a market in Karachi, Pakistan [Akhtar Soomro/Reuters]
A man reads a newspaper with the front page featuring news about cross-border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan at a roadside stall, in Karachi, Pakistan [Rehan Khan/EPA]
A trader monitors stock prices at the Pakistan Stock Exchang in Karachi, Pakistan [Rehan Khan/EPA]
The Pakistani benchmark KSE-100 index plunged more than 3,000 points during intraday trading before recovering part of the losses by the market’s close on February 27 amid rising tensions [Rehan Khan/EPA]

27 Feb 2026 - 22:20
 (22:20 GMT)

US official expresses support for Pakistan

Allison Hooker, US undersecretary of state for political affairs, says on X that she spoke with Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch on the phone today.

She said that she expressed “condolences for lives lost in the recent conflict between Pakistan and the Taliban”.

“We continue to monitor the situation closely and expressed [sic] support for Pakistan’s right to defend itself against Taliban attacks”, she added.

Her statements echo President Trump’s comments earlier tonight, emphasising the closeness of the US and Pakistan.

27 Feb 2026 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)

What has the world said in reaction to the Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict?

Here are some notable reactions to the exchange of hostilities between the two sides:

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is closely monitoring the situation, expressing deep concern over the surge in violence. He also called today for an “immediate ceasefire”.

Russia has urged the warring parties to halt cross-border attacks immediately and resolve their differences through diplomatic means.

India’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the country “strongly” condemns Pakistan’s air strikes, noting that they took place during the holy month of Ramadan.

China is deeply concerned over the escalation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the country’s Ministry⁠ of Foreign Affairs said on Friday.

You can check out the rest here.

27 Feb 2026 - 21:40
 (21:40 GMT)
Infographic

Pakistan-Afghanistan: Military head-to-head

27 Feb 2026 - 21:20
 (21:20 GMT)

Iran offers to facilitate dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan

“The Islamic Republic of Iran stands ready to provide any assistance necessary to facilitate dialogue and to enhance understanding and cooperation between the two countries,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has posted on X.

Separately, his ministry urged the “two sides to respect each other’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty and to refrain from any action that could escalate tensions and conflict”.

Iran, which shares borders with both Pakistan and Afghanistan, has maintained close ties with Pakistan and has also engaged with the Taliban authorities, though it has not formally recognised their rule.

During a previous round of hostilities between Afghanistan and Pakistan in October, Iran had offered to mediate between them.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi [File: Burak Kara/Getty]
27 Feb 2026 - 21:00
 (21:00 GMT)

WATCH: Pakistan, Afghanistan release conflicting death tolls amid ‘open war’

Pakistan and Afghanistan are even disputing death tolls from their cross-border attacks, with both claiming the upper hand amid what Islamabad calls “open war”.

Watch below for the latest:

27 Feb 2026 - 20:40
 (20:40 GMT)

Trump rules out intervention, says ‘Pakistan is doing terrifically well’

US President Donald Trump has told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House that he “gets along very well” with Pakistan, praising its Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir.

In response to a question whether he would intervene in the conflict, he said “Well, I would, but I get along with Pakistan, as you know, very well – very, very well”.

“You have a great prime minister. You have a great general there. You have a great leader. I think two of the people that I really respect a lot, and I think that Pakistan is doing terrifically well, you know”, Trump said.

US President Donald Trump boards Marine One as he departs the White House for Texas in Washington, DC [AFP]
27 Feb 2026 - 20:20
 (20:20 GMT)

‘We will go to any extent to defend Pakistan’, minister says

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has issued a lengthy post on X in which he pledged that it is the “national duty” of every Pakistani to defend the country against any aggression.

Afridi, a vocal supporter of jailed ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, has been critical of the government and military for his arrest.

“Despite internal differences and criticism of wrong policies, we will stand with our country and security forces in external conspiracies or aggression”, he said.

27 Feb 2026 - 20:00
 (20:00 GMT)

Photos: Afghan fighters keep lookout at border crossing

Afghan soldiers peer through the sights of their weapons, on the Afghan side of the Torkham border crossing with Pakistan in Torkham, Afghanistan [Wahidullah Kakar/AP]
Afghan soldiers stand on the Afghan side of the Torkham border crossing [Wahidullah Kakar/AP]
Afghan Taliban soldiers look toward the Pakistani side, with one peering through the sight of his rifle [Wahidullah Kakar/AP]

27 Feb 2026 - 19:45
 (19:45 GMT)

WATCH: Residents describe panic as Pakistan attacks Afghanistan in ‘open war’

Residents of Kabul, Afghanistan, are cleaning up broken glass and describing how they tried to run to safety when Pakistan attacked in the middle of the night.

Meanwhile, in Karachi, Pakistan, people are celebrating the offensive as a “positive development”.

Watch below for scenes from the ground:

27 Feb 2026 - 19:30
 (19:30 GMT)

Pakistan PM’s spokesperson says conflict will end when the Afghan government ‘takes responsibility’

Mosharraf Zaidi, Pakistan’s prime minister’s spokesperson for foreign media, has told Al Jazeera that this conflict will end “when the Afghan Taliban regime takes responsibility for running their country in a manner consistent with international law and their commitments through the Doha agreement”.

He added that this also includes “the principles of good neighbourliness and human decency, ie, a complete cessation of the Afghan Taliban regime’s support for terrorist groups and proxies that come at Pakistan through Afghan territory”.

27 Feb 2026 - 19:15
 (19:15 GMT)

Islamabad claims almost 300 Afghan fighters have been killed

Mosharraf Zaidi, Pakistan’s prime minister’s spokesperson for foreign media, claims that 297 Afghan fighters have been killed, and more than 450 injured.`

In a post on X, he claimed that 89 Afghan posts have also been destroyed, and 18 soldiers captured.

He also said that 135 tanks and armed personnel carriers have been destroyed, while 29 locations across Afghanistan have targeted from the air.

These claims could not be independently verified by Al Jazeera.

27 Feb 2026 - 19:00
 (19:00 GMT)

Pakistani official claims Afghan military installations ‘completely destroyed’ in strikes

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar says that the air strikes on Afghanistan targeted “military installations”, which were “completely destroyed”. He also added that Kabul’s “Green Zone” was not attacked.

“This is an ongoing situation, and we will see where the situation leads,” he said, speaking on Pakistani television channel Geo News.

“Afghan Taliban tried skirmishes, firing, and tried to inflict harm in Khyber and Chitral. However, they did not have the capacity. They do not have any capability in conventional warfare”, he said.

27 Feb 2026 - 18:45
 (18:45 GMT)

Iran urges Pakistan and Afghanistan to ‘refrain’ from escalatory actions

The Iranian foreign ministry has urged neighbouring Afghanistan and Pakistan to “refrain” from escalatory actions as Islamabad declared that the two countries were in an “open war”.

In a statement, the ministry called on the “two sides to respect each other’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty and to refrain from any action that could escalate tensions and conflict”.

27 Feb 2026 - 18:30
 (18:30 GMT)

UN’s secretary-general calls for ‘immediate ceasefire’

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called today for an immediate ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Guterres “is deeply concerned by the escalation of violence we’re seeing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the impact that violence is having on civilian populations”, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

“He calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and he reiterates his call on the parties to resolve any differences through diplomacy,” the spokesperson added.

27 Feb 2026 - 18:15
 (18:15 GMT)

WATCH: Pakistan’s air strikes, declaration of ‘open war’ on Afghanistan

Pakistan has launched air strikes on Afghanistan’s major cities, escalating tensions despite an October ceasefire.

Residents of Kabul and Kandahar heard explosions into Friday morning.

Islamabad accuses the Afghans of border attacks, which they deny.

Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford reports:

27 Feb 2026 - 18:00
 (18:00 GMT)

Afghan minister says country ‘ashamed’ of Pakistan’s actions

Afghani Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani says that they are “ashamed” of Pakistan’s actions.

“If we ask our people for a national uprising, then this will be just a very costly affair,” Haqqani said.

Tensions escalated last night after clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border led to strikes on Kabul and other cities, resulting in Islamabad announcing it was at “open war” with Afghanistan.