Pakistan-Afghanistan War: Durand Line To TTP, The Root & History Of Violence Explained

Last Updated:February 27, 2026, 18:19 IST

The escalation comes amid heightened tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban-led administration in Kabul over cross-border security concerns along the Durand Line

Pakistan on Friday said it considers itself in an “open war" with Afghanistan, as its forces killed more than 130 Taliban fighters in airstrikes in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia in response to what Islamabad described as the cross-border attack by the Afghan Taliban.

The 2,611-km-long border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is known as the Durand Line, which Kabul has not formally recognised.

WHAT PAKISTAN SAID

In a post on X, Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, issued a strong statement declaring the “open war" against Afghanistan, stating that Islamabad has lost its patience and accusing the Taliban-led administration of harbouring militants. “After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it was expected that there would be peace in Afghanistan and that the Taliban would focus on the interests of the Afghan people and peace in the region…They gathered all the terrorists of the world in Afghanistan and began exporting terrorism. They deprived their own people of basic human rights. They snatched away the rights that Islam grants to women," his post read.

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“Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and you. Now it will be ‘Dama Dam Mast Qalandar’. Pakistan’s army did not come from across the seas. We are your neighbours; we know your ins and outs. Allahu Akbar," the Pakistani Defence Minister added.

WHAT AFGHANISTAN SAID

Following the Pakistani strikes on Afghan soil, Afghanistan’s spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, condemned the attack, calling the act by the Pakistani military “cowardly". “The cowardly Pakistani military has carried out airstrikes in certain areas of Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia; fortunately, there have been no reported casualties," Mujahid said in a statement on X.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defence of Afghanistan said that 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory operations carried out along the Durand Line on Thursday.

In a press release, the ministry said the action was launched at 8:00 PM on the 9th of Ramadan, corresponding to February 26, in response to what it described as a violation of Afghan territory by Pakistani military forces days earlier.

“A few days ago, the Pakistani military circles, with great audacity, violated Afghan territory, breached our borders, and martyred women and children here," the statement read.

“In these retaliatory operations along the Durand Line, a total of 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed, two bases and 19 posts were captured," the statement added.

In retaliation, Pakistan initiated the ‘Ghazab Lil Haq’ operation targeting the Afghan Taliban regime, as reported by ARY News.

Spokesperson of Pakistani Prime Minister Mosharraf Zaidi alleged that 133 Afghan Taliban fighters have been killed and over 200 wounded, with 27 Taliban posts destroyed and nine captured.

THE TRIGGER

The escalation comes amid heightened tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban-led administration in Kabul over cross-border security concerns along the Durand Line, the border drawn by the British in the 19th century, which has remained a topic of dispute between the two countries.

Pakistan’s security forces responded to what they called “unprovoked fire" by Afghan Taliban forces at multiple points along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border on Thursday, Pakistan’s information ministry said. The ministry wrote on X that Taliban forces opened fire across several sectors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and that Pakistani troops delivered an “immediate and effective response", inflicting heavy casualties and destroying multiple posts and equipment.

THE HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

The historical violence between Pakistan and Afghanistan is rooted in a century-old border dispute, ethnic nationalism, and decades of proxy warfare that has escalated into an open war.

1. The Durand Line Dispute (1893–Present)

At the heart of tensions is the Durand Line, a 2,640-km border drawn in 1893 between British India and Afghanistan. Afghanistan has never formally recognized the Durand Line as an international border.

The line split ethnic Pashtun tribes between what became Pakistan (in 1947) and Afghanistan. After Pakistan’s creation in 1947, Afghanistan was the only country to vote against Pakistan’s admission to the United Nations, largely due to this dispute. This issue remains the core political grievance between the two countries.

2. Early Hostility (1947–1970s)

After Pakistan’s independence, Afghanistan supported the idea of “Pashtunistan" — an independent state carved out of Pakistan’s northwest. Border skirmishes were witnessed in the 1950s and 1960s. Diplomatic relations were periodically severed. Although not full-scale war, tensions were persistent and occasionally violent.

3. Soviet–Afghan War & Pakistan’s Role (1979–1989)

When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, Pakistan became a key base for Afghan resistance fighters (the Mujahideen). With backing from the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s intelligence service (ISI) trained and armed Afghan fighters. Millions of Afghan refugees fled into Pakistan.

This period militarised the border region and strengthened Islamist militant networks that later destabilised both countries.

4. Rise of the Taliban (1990s)

After the Soviet withdrawal, Pakistan supported the rise of the Taliban in the mid-1990s. The Taliban took control of most of Afghanistan by 1996. Afghanistan’s civil war spilled instability into Pakistan. Afghanistan later accused Pakistan of backing Taliban militants as a strategic move to gain influence.

5. Post-9/11 Tensions (2001–2021)

After the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan. Pakistan officially joined the U.S. war on terror. However, Afghan governments repeatedly accused Pakistan of allowing Taliban leaders to operate from safe havens in Pakistan.

Violence escalated along the border with cross-border shelling, militant infiltration, suicide bombings and Pakistani military operations in tribal areas

The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — a Pakistani militant group — emerged and began attacking Pakistan itself.

6. After the Taliban Returned to Power (2021–Present)

When the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan initially welcomed the development.

However, tensions worsened due to increased attacks by TTP militants operating from Afghan territory. Disputes over Pakistan fencing the Durand Line. Border clashes between Taliban forces and Pakistani troops.

Recent years have seen airstrikes, cross-border raids, diplomatic breakdowns and mass deportations of Afghan refugees from Pakistan.

7. The TTP Factor

The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is separate from Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, but they share ideological roots. The TTP wants to overthrow the Pakistani state. Pakistan says TTP fighters operate from Afghan provinces near the border. The Afghan Taliban deny officially supporting TTP but have not decisively dismantled them. This unresolved militant presence is the core security dispute.

Another spark in recent clashes is Pakistan’s continued fencing along the Durand Line. Afghan Taliban forces have sometimes removed fencing or blocked construction. Both sides deploy troops, leading to shootouts.

Pakistan has recently arrested and deported large numbers of undocumented Afghan refugees. Linked some security threats to refugee flows. This has worsened diplomatic tensions.

WHAT HAPPENED TO OCTOBER CEASEFIRE?

In October 2025, Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to a short, 48-hour ceasefire after several days of intense border clashes triggered by militant attacks and retaliatory airstrikes. The truce was achieved through urgent diplomatic contacts and mediation efforts by regional actors, including Qatar and Turkey, who pushed both sides to pause fighting and open channels for dialogue. However, the ceasefire was temporary and lacked a formal enforcement mechanism. Once it expired, accusations quickly resurfaced—Pakistan alleged continued cross-border activity by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from Afghan territory, while Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of renewed airstrikes and violations of sovereignty. With deep mistrust unresolved and no lasting security guarantees in place, border tensions and sporadic clashes resumed in the following months.

With Agency Inputs

News explainers Pakistan-Afghanistan War: Durand Line To TTP, The Root & History Of Violence Explained

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