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2025 Afghanistan–Pakistan conflict

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2025 Afghanistan–Pakistan conflict
Part of the Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmishes and the insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Afghanistan (orange) and Pakistan (green)
Date9–12 October 2025 (3 days)
Location
Afghanistan-Pakistan border
Result Ceasefire[1][2][3]
Belligerents
Taliban Afghanistan
Pakistani Taliban		 Pakistan
Commanders and leaders
Taliban Mullah Yaqoob
Taliban Amir Khan Muttaqi
Taliban Zabihullah Mujahid
Taliban Haji Nusrat †[4]
Noor Wali Mehsud		 Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari
Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif
Pakistan Asim Munir
Pakistan Ishaq Dar
Pakistan Mohsin Naqvi
Units involved
Casualties and losses
Per Afghanistan:
28 personnel killed[5][4]
16-18 wounded[6]
Per Pakistani Taliban:
2 Senior TTP members killed.[7]
Per Pakistan:
~200 personnel killed[8][9][10]
1 Humvee destroyed[9][unreliable source?][better source needed]
Several Tanks destroyed[9][unreliable source?][better source needed]		 Per Pakistan:
23 personnel killed[11]
29 personnel wounded[11]
Per Afghanistan:
58 personnel killed[10]
30 personnel wounded[10]
Per Pakistani Taliban:
20 personnel killed[12]
3 civilians killed[12]

In the early hours of 9 October 2025, Pakistan reportedly carried out airstrikes in Kabul, Khost, Jalalabad,[13][14] and Paktika,[15] targeting Pakistani Taliban. The group's leader, Noor Wali Mehsud, an internationally designated terrorist[16][17][18] was the main target of the attack in Kabul, which happened in Abdul Haq Square.[19][20] However, the TTP released an unverified audio recording, purportedly of Mehsud, in which he says that he is alive.[21][22]

On the night of October 11th, the Afghan Taliban launched an attack on multiple Pakistani military posts along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, reportedly in retaliation for suspected Pakistani airstrikes. Following the attack, the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense announced the conclusion of their operation.[23] However, Pakistani officials rejected the Taliban’s ceasefire declaration and continued their offensive, which was confirmed by a Taliban spokesman, noting that clashes persisted into the morning of October 12th.[24][25] On the same day, reports emerged of a Pakistani drone strike in Afghanistan's Kandahar and Helmand provinces, killing 19 Taliban fighters, though these casualties were not confirmed by Taliban officials.[4]

Afghan Taliban spokesperson claimed that 58 Pakistani soldiers were killed, 30 injured and around 25 border posts were captured by Taliban fighters. Pakistan responded, claiming that it had killed over 200, captured at most 19 Afghan posts, and destroyed several along the border. The hostilities between the two countries had largely subsided by the evening of October 12th.

Background

Main article: Afghanistan–Pakistan clashes (2024–present)

Pakistan has accused the Afghan government in recent years of allowing the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an offshoot of the Afghan Taliban, to use Afghan soil as a safe haven to plan and launch attacks across the border into Pakistan.[26][27]

The issue has repeatedly strained diplomatic relations, with Kabul summoning Pakistani ambassadors on several occasions to protest alleged violations of Afghan sovereignty.[28][26]

Cross-border operations and airstrikes inside Afghan provinces such as Paktika, Khost, Nangarhar and Kunar have taken place in both 2024 and 2025 as Pakistan has repeatedly claimed that it has targeted anti-Pakistani militant hideouts.[27][29][30]

Timeline

Airstrikes in Afghanistan

On 9 October 2025, at around 9:50 p.m. local time,[31] two loud explosions were heard in Kabul, particularly in the eastern sectors near Abdul Haq Square, District 8.[32][33] Explosions and gunfire were heard in parts of Kabul, leading residents to believe that an airstrike had taken place.[34] Witnesses described hearing the sound of aircraft overhead shortly after the blasts. Subsequent reports suggested that the leader of the Tehreekk-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Noor Wali Mehsud, may have been the target of the strike, with some sources claiming he was killed in the attack near Abdul Haq Square.[22][35] However, the TTP released an unverified audio recording, purportedly of Mehsud, in which he claims to have survived the attack.[22] In Kabul, the explosions were heard by residents in different parts of the city, prompting an investigation by Afghan officials, who have not yet confirmed the identity of the target or assessed the full extent of the damage and casualties.[36]

The incident is part of a potentially significant[speculation?] escalation in cross-border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, following several previous attacks and diplomatic protests over Pakistan's efforts to eliminate militant sanctuaries on Afghan soil.[37][38]

Airstrikes were also reported to have taken place in Khost, Jalalabad,[13][14] and Paktika.[15] However, the Afghan government only confirmed airstrikes in Kabul and Paktika.[15]

Casualties from airstrikes in Afghanistan

A TTP official has confirmed that the airstrike in Kabul killed at least two senior members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).[7] Some sources believe that TTP leader Noor Wali Mehsud may have also been killed.[39][15][40] However, the TTP official have released an unverified voice recording purportedly from Mehsud, in which he claims to be alive.[41] Mehsud later made a video showing that he was alive and escaped the strikes on him by the Pakistan Air Force.[42][43]

Afghan journalists noted that the Afghan Taliban restricted access to the areas that had been struck by Pakistan. However, based on initial information provided by the Afghan journalists, the strike was effective, with several key TTP commanders believed to have been targeted.[13][14]

11 October

On the night of October 11th, the Afghan Taliban launched an attack on multiple military posts belonging to Pakistan along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Afghan Taliban officials stated that the attack was a response to suspected Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan.[44][45][46][47] Hours after the attack, the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense declared that the group’s operation against Pakistan had concluded but warned that any future violations of Afghanistan’s airspace would provoke a decisive response.[23] Pakistani officials, however, stated that they had rejected the unilateral ceasefire declaration by the Afghan Taliban and continued attacking Taliban positions on Afghanistan’s side of the border.[24][48][49] This was confirmed by a Taliban spokesman, who noted that attacks on Afghan military posts continued well into the morning of October 12th.[25]

12 October

On October 12th, local sources in Afghanistan reported that a drone strike by Pakistan in Afghanistan's southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand killed 19 Taliban fighters. The casualties from the drone strike were not confirmed by Afghan Taliban officials.[4]

The same day, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, in a post on X (Twitter) stated that 9 Afghan Taliban fighters had been killed and 16 to 18 had been injured in the attack on Pakistan's military posts.[50] He further claimed that the Afghan Taliban killed 58 Pakistani soldiers, injured 30, and captured 25 Pakistani military posts.[51][52] However, these statements have not been confirmed by the Pakistani military or independent media. Pakistani state media claimed that its armed forces had captured 21 Afghan border posts, with the Taliban fighters at the posts being either killed or escaping and some allegedly surrendering in Kurram.[51][53] Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed a "strong retaliation" to Afghan clashes with Pakistani forces, as his interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, referenced the India–Pakistan conflict in May 2025 when he stated that Afghanistan will receive a "befitting reply like India."[54][55]

Asim Munir, Pakistan's Chief of the Army Staff, visited the Afghan border and inspected frontline positions.[56] Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi announced during a press conference in New Delhi that Afghan forces paused their operations "for the time being."[57] Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed his concerns at the clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces along the border.[57]

The Torkham border crossing and Chaman border crossing in Balochistan were sealed by Pakistani forces.[58]

Ceasefire

On 12 October, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi announced a cessation of hostilities following requests from Qatar and Saudi Arabia.[59]

Reactions

  • Afghanistan: The Afghan government has launched an investigation into the blasts, with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid saying no damage or casualties have been confirmed.[60][61] The day after the attack, the Afghan Ministry of Defence blamed Pakistan for the Kabul and Paktika blasts, without sharing any details.[42] Afghanistan also accuses Pakistan of "violating Kabul's sovereign territory".[41]
  • Pakistan: Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, spokesperson for the Pakistan Armed Forces, did not confirm or deny whether Pakistan conducted the airstrikes on Kabul. Chaudhry stated that "Afghanistan is being used as a base of operations against Pakistan, and there is proof and evidence of that," adding that "the necessary measures that should be taken to protect the lives and property of the people of Pakistan will be taken and will continue to be taken."[42] Pakistan also blames "Indian proxies" in Afghanistan for terror attacks.[62] Pakistan's President, Asif Ali Zardari had strongly condemned Afghanistan's counterattack saying that "Afghanistan has turned away from the just freedom struggle of the oppressed people of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir", which he claimed was "an injustice to both history and the Muslim Ummah".[63]

International reactions

  • Iran: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on Afghanistan and Pakistan "to exercise restraint" amid ongoing clashes. "Our position is that both sides must exercise restraint," Araghchi said during a live interview with state television, adding that "stability" between the countries "contributes to regional stability".[64]
  • Saudi Arabia: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying: "The kingdom calls for restraint, avoiding escalation, and embracing dialogue and wisdom to contribute to reducing tensions and maintaining security and stability in the region. The kingdom affirms its support for all regional and international efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability, and its continued commitment to ensuring security, which will achieve stability and prosperity for the brotherly Pakistani and Afghan peoples."[64]
  • Qatar: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged both sides to prioritise dialogue, diplomacy, and restraint, and to work towards containing differences in a manner that helps to reduce tension and avoid escalation, in order to achieve regional security and stability. The foreign ministry reiterated Qatar's support for all regional and international efforts aimed at strengthening international peace and security, and affirmed its commitment to ensuring security and prosperity for the people of the two countries.[64]
  • Russia: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged both sides to exercise restraint and said it was monitoring the events, concluding that the "situation is stabilising."[65] The Foreign ministry concluded that it welcomes this process.[65]
  • United States: President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One, while he was enroute to Israel, that he heard "there's a war now going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan," adding that "I'll have to wait till I get back," suggesting his intention to mediate between the two countries.[66]

Analysis

Sami Yousafzai, an Afghan journalist, while quoting sources from Afghan Taliban states that that the Taliban's initial plan was to send a limited and symbolic response to Pakistan’s attack in Kabul, primarily to pacify internal criticism.[67] However, the situation escalated when larger forces were mobilized than initially intended, leading to an unexpected military confrontation. This miscalculation highlights the Taliban’s struggle to balance domestic expectations with the need to avoid full-scale conflict with Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban leadership had hoped to keep the response controlled, but this maneuver appears to have backfired, possibly complicating both domestic and international relations.[67]

See also

References

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  12. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ a b c "پاکستانی طیاروں کا کابل، پکتیکا، خوست اور جلال آباد میں فضائی حملہ، متعدد ہلاکتیں". DailyUrdu (in Urdu). 10 October 2025.
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  67. ^ a b Yousafzai, Sami (12 October 2025). "Taliban sources say Afghan Taliban initially planned a limited retaliation to Pakistan's attack in Kabul..." X.com. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
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