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<\/a><\/p>\nAn official with Pakistan’s Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MoIB) took to X to announce<\/a> Pakistan’s response to the Taliban. They claimed that the Taliban attacked them along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and that Pakistan provided an immediate and effective response. Pakistan also accused the Taliban of allowing Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to shelter in Afghanistan. The latter is accused of conducting attacks inside Pakistan.<\/p>\n From Fox News:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Pakistan’s defense minister declared an “open war” with Afghanistan on Friday after the two sides exchanged heavy fire along their shared border on Thursday, according to multiple reports.<\/p>\n Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said in a post on X that Pakistan had hoped the Taliban would bring stability after NATO’s withdrawal, but instead accused the group of turning Afghanistan “into a colony of India” and “exporting terrorism.”<\/p>\n “Our patience has now run out. Now it is open war between us,” he said.<\/p>\n The clashes came after the Taliban said it launched retaliatory strikes on Pakistani military positions, while Islamabad said it was responding to unprovoked fire in the area.<\/p>\n Reuters reported that both forces clashed for more than two hours along their roughly 2,600-kilometer (1,615-mile) border, threatening a ceasefire that had been agreed to in 2025 after fighting.<\/p>\n Thursday’s flare-up came after Pakistani forces carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan earlier this week, with Taliban officials saying the strikes killed at least 18 people, Reuters reported Feb. 24.<\/p>\n Pakistan said it targeted militant hideouts and rejected claims that civilians were targeted.<\/p>\n The Taliban described an “extensive” military operation against Pakistani army positions in response to the strikes.<\/p>\n “In response to repeated provocations, extensive preemptive operations have been launched against Pakistani military positions along the Durand Line,” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on X.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Additional Reading:<\/b><\/p>\n Bussey, E., & Sinkewicz, M. (2026, February 26). Pakistan declares ‘open war’ on Afghanistan in response to Taliban’s retaliatory strikes. Fox News<\/i>. Link<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"