The cross border conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan is escalating with greater intensity with no sign of de-escalation and a lasting resolution. As the hard-nosed contest enters fifth consecutive day, in the retaliatory strikes Afghanistan has hit the Nur Khan airbase in Pakistan, which was apparently ruptured by India during Operation Sindoor. Kabul has also targeted other military bases and Airforce establishments of Pakistan.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
فَمَنِ اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاعْتَدُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْد ملي دفاع وزارت هوايي ځواکونو نن ورځ یوځل بیا د پاکستان راولپنډۍ نورخان اډه، بلوچستان کوټه ۱۲نمبر قول اردو، خیبر پښتونخوا مهمندو ایجنسي خویزو کمپ او… pic.twitter.com/tNGKTOECC2
— دفاع وزارت – وزارت دفاع (@MoDAfghanistan2) March 1, 2026
In an official statement, the Defence Ministry of the Taliban led government in Afghanistan reported that it launched massive attacks on the key military posts of Pakistan across the international boundary, Durand Line. This was in retaliation to Pakistan’s attack on the military establishments of Afghanistan which includes Kabul, Khost, Jalalabad and Kandahar. The latest phase of conflict escalated when Pakistan launched firing targeting the Afghan provinces in the name of counter-terrorism operations.
In the retaliatory strikes, Kabul claims that it has captured key military posts of Pakistan including in Spin Boldak and Shorabak regions. As an impact of the seizure of Pakistani military posts by Kabul, three Pakistani soldiers were killed, a statement by the Taliban government stated. Another Pakistani soldier is captured as a prisoner. Two other Pakistani military posts were captured in the Ali-Sher district.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
فَمَنِ اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاعْتَدُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْToday, the Air Force of the Ministry of National Defense conducted precise and coordinated aerial operations against key military installations in Pakistan.. pic.twitter.com/i9ctZPxjgK
— دفاع وزارت – وزارت دفاع (@MoDAfghanistan2) March 1, 2026
Afghanistan is retaliating in a decisive way that is posing a major security and strategic challenge to the atrocities of Islamabad. Pakistan, which is politically and economically disintegrated conducts cross-border firing to veil its domestic failures. However, the counter strikes by Afghanistan are demonstrating a pivotal challenge to Pakistan and are unable to conceal its internal failures. On March 3, the Afghan Defence Ministry also announced that it destroyed a Pakistani armour tank in the Paktika province. Reportedly, the Pakistani tank fueled an indiscriminate shelling targeting the Afghan territory. In response, Kabul destroyed the armour tank.
Afghanistan has claimed that since the outbreak of the latest phase of conflict it has seized more than 25 military posts of Pakistan and has killed more than 100 Pakistani soldiers. Afghan sources also claimed that Pakistan tried to attack the Bagram airbase near Kabul. However, it was successfully thwarted by the Afghan air defense systems. The latest escalation has also debunked the peace negotiations and deal between Islamabad and Kabul which was negotiated by Qatar. Pakistan has violated the peace deal and has repeatedly launched attacks on Afghanistan under the veil of counter-terrorism operations.
Meanwhile, India has upheld Afghan sovereignty and has criticised Pakistani strikes as an attempt to cover up its internal failures and build fake narratives on the global stage regarding its counter-terrorism effort. The strike on Nur Khan base is thus a major backlash to Pakistan exposing its vulnerabilities. Nur khan base was said to be hitherto damaged due to India’s strikes during Operation Sindoor and was under reconstruction. The latest Afghan strikes further not just damaged the strategic military establishment of Pakistan, but also damaged the reputation of Pakistan as a weak military and unmasked its fake counter-terrorism operation claim.
