Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ highlightes: Pak claims more than 300 Afghan casualties; Taliban says PAF pilot 'held'

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: Two loud explosions were heard in Afghanistan’s eastern city of Jalalabad on Saturday morning, according to an AFP journalist, a day after Pakistani air strikes hit other Afghan cities.

The journalist reported hearing a jet overhead shortly before the blasts, which appeared to come from the direction of the airport in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province.

Jalalabad lies along the key road linking Kabul with the Pakistani border.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: Two explosions struck Afghanistan’s Jalalabad city, AFP reported citing journalist account.

Details about the cause of the blasts, casualties or damage were not immediately available.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: A photo from Karachi shows police officers checking passengers’ belongings along a road leading to the airport, as security has been tightened following exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: Pakistan’s armed forces continued ground and air operations against Afghan Taliban positions overnight, further intensifying the cross-border conflict.

According to The Dawn, security sources said the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) targeted a brigade and battalion headquarters of the Afghan Taliban in Nangarhar province.

On the ground, troops reportedly captured the New Afghan 8 post and later destroyed it with explosives. Another Taliban post in the Noshki sector was also destroyed, the sources added.

There was no immediate confirmation from Afghan authorities regarding the reported strikes.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: Pakistan on Sunday said that nearly 300 Afghan Taliban personnel and members of allied groups have been killed as operations against them continue.

According to PTI news agency, information minister Attaullah Tarar said in a late-night update that security forces had killed 297 combatants of what he described as the Afghan Taliban regime, while over 450 Afghan operatives were injured.

Providing details of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, Tarar said Pakistan had destroyed 89 Taliban posts and captured 18 others. He added that around 135 tanks and armoured vehicles were also destroyed during the course of the operation.

The minister further said that approximately 29 locations across Afghanistan were effectively targeted by the air force.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: Fresh diplomatic efforts appear to be underway to calm the escalating hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar engaging both sides.

A source with knowledge of the talks told AFP that “Saudi Arabia, in coordination with Qatar, is making efforts to reduce tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” adding that the aim is to “de-escalate the situation and prevent it from spiralling out of control”.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, also spoke separately with Afghanistan’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, expressing concern over the recent developments.

In another phone call, the Saudi foreign minister discussed the situation with Pakistan’s deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar, with both sides agreeing to remain closely engaged.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over the escalating violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan, urging both sides to immediately stop hostilities.

Speaking at the daily press briefing on Friday, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Secretary-General is “deeply concerned by the escalation of violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan and the impact that violence is having on civilian populations. He calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and he reiterates his call on the parties to resolve any differences through diplomacy," reported PTI news agency.

“We continue to call on all parties to the conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law; in particular, to ensure that civilians are protected at all times, as well as civilian infrastructure,” he added.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: The United States issued an advisory for its citizens in Pakistan, asking them to remain alert and keep a low profile, in view of recent military confrontation with Afghanistan that has spiked the tensions in region since Thursday.

The US mission in Pakistan said that military activities on account of ‘heightened tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan’ has increased and security forces have increased their presence in major cities in response to potential terrorist threats.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: Responding to a question on the ongoing tensions between the neighbouring countries and a possible intervention by the US, Trump hinted at possible backing for Pakistan, saying that he “gets along” with Islamabad “very well”.

“Well, I would (intervene), 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, two of the people that I really respect a lot,” he told reporters.

In what appeared to be a show of support for Pakistan, the US President said that Islamabad is “doing terrifically well” in its border clashes with Afghanistan.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: The United States on Friday expressed support for what it called Pakistan's "right to defend itself" against attacks from Afghanistan's Taliban rulers after Islamabad said earlier in the day that the neighboring countries were in "open war."

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers had said on Friday they were willing to negotiate after Pakistan bombed their forces in major cities.

"The United States supports Pakistan's right to defend itself against attacks from the Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group," a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement. U.S. diplomat Allison Hooker said on X she spoke on Friday with Pakistan Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch.

Pakistan is nuclear-armed and its military capabilities are vastly superior to Afghanistan's. However, the Taliban are adept at guerrilla warfare, hardened by decades of fighting with U.S.-led forces, before returning to power in 2021 when Washington withdrew chaotically. (Reuters)

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: US President Donald Trump on Friday praised Pakistan’s leadership amid the ongoing Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions, saying he shares a strong relationship with Islamabad.

“I get along with Pakistan very well, they have a great Prime Minister (Shehbaz Sharif) and General (Asim Munir); Pakistan doing terrifically well,” Trump said while responding to a question on the conflict.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: Amid escalating tensions with Afghanistan, Pakistan has reportedly announced a nationwide ban on all drone operations following reported cross-border attacks.

Pakistan’s information minister Attaullah Tarar said Afghanistan carried out drone strikes targeting Abbottabad, Swabi and Nowshera, according to TOLOnews. He added that Pakistan’s anti-drone systems intercepted and brought down the drones, and there was no loss of life.

Soon after, the ministry of interior issued a notification enforcing a blanket prohibition on all commercial and privately operated drones across the country, reported Geo News.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: Pakistan’s armed forces continued ground and air operations against Afghan Taliban forces overnight, according to a report by Dawn.

Security sources cited by the outlet said the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) targeted a brigade and battalion headquarters of the Afghan Taliban in Nangarhar province as part of the ongoing operations.

On the ground, the army reportedly captured the New Afghan 8 post and later destroyed it with explosives. Another Taliban post in the Noshki sector was also destroyed, the sources added.

Afghan authorities did not immediately confirm the claim.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: Afghanistan’s Taliban-led Defence Ministry has released purported footage showing strikes on what it claims are Pakistani targets, as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate.

The video appears to show explosions at multiple sites, with fire and thick plumes of smoke billowing into the air. The locations and exact timing of the strikes were not specified in the release.

HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, held a phone conversation with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar, according to a statement from the Saudi ministry of foreign affairs.

During the call, the two leaders reviewed recent regional developments, with a particular focus on the escalating tensions in South Asia.

The discussion centred on efforts aimed at de-escalating the situation in a way that preserves security and stability across the region, the ministry said.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: Forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan carried out drone airstrikes on Pakistani military camps in Miranshah and in Spinwam, a district of North Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, security sources told TOLOnews.

Following the strike, a fire reportedly broke out at the Spinwam base, the sources said.

According to them, the operation was named “Rad al-Zulm” and was conducted in response to what they described as bombardments by Pakistan’s military in Khost and Paktia the previous night.

There has been no immediate official confirmation from Pakistan on the reported drone strikes.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, received a phone call from Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

According to the statement, the two leaders discussed recent regional developments and efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions and preserving stability in the region.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: As tensions escalate, the military balance between the two neighbours is drawing attention.

Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state with significantly superior conventional military capabilities compared to Afghanistan. Its air power, missile systems and organised command structure give it a clear advantage in a direct, large-scale confrontation.

However, the Taliban bring decades of battlefield experience in asymmetric warfare. The group fought US-led forces for nearly 20 years before returning to power in 2021 following Washington’s withdrawal. That long insurgency has shaped a force adept at guerrilla tactics, cross-border mobility and operating in difficult terrain.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: Fresh fighting broke out at around 3 am local time on Saturday along the Durand Line in Terwa district of Paktika province, according to sources who spoke to TOLOnews.

The clashes reportedly involved Afghan forces and Pakistan’s military.

So far, there has been no official word on casualties or damage resulting from the latest exchange of fire, the report added.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Sohail Afridi on Friday asserted that Pakistan would respond firmly to any external aggression amid rising tensions along the Afghan border.

In a post on X, Afridi said that if any country engaged in provocation or aggression against Pakistan, “we will go to any extent to defend the country, without fear or hesitation”.

He stressed that this position went beyond party lines.

“This is not only the stance of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government; every Pakistani considers it a national duty,” he wrote.

“Despite internal differences and criticism on flawed policies, we will stand by our country and our security forces in the face of external conspiracies or aggression.”

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: The United States has reiterated its support for Pakistan’s right to defend itself amid escalating tensions with the Taliban.

“The United States supports Pakistan's right to defend itself against attacks from the Taliban, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group,” a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

US diplomat Allison Hooker said on X that she spoke on Friday with Pakistan Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch, as Washington continues to monitor the situation closely.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: After Pakistan described the situation as “open war,” the Taliban said they remain willing to engage in talks to resolve the escalating crisis.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the Islamic Emirate preferred dialogue over confrontation, even as cross-border strikes and sharp rhetoric continued.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has always tried to resolve issues through dialogue, and now also we want to resolve this matter through dialogue,” Mujahid said.

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: US President Donald Trump on Friday said he might consider intervening in the escalating conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, but underscored his strong ties with Pakistan’s leadership.

Responding to a question from reporters on whether he would step in to mediate, Trump said, “I would (intervene). But I get along with Pakistan very very well. They have a great Prime Minister, a great General. They have a great leader. Two of the people that I really respect a lot. Pakistan is doing terrifically well.”

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: A photo from Pakistan’s border town of Chaman shows the usually busy Friendship Gate standing deserted following exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces.

The image, taken on February 27, 2026, captures the border crossing between the two countries after tensions flared along the frontier. The once-active transit point appears empty

Pakistan-Afghanistan ‘war’ live news: European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged both sides to de-escalate and engage diplomatically.

“The EU reiterates that Afghan territory must not be used to threaten or attack other countries and calls on the Afghan de facto authorities to take effective action against all terrorist groups operating in or from Afghanistan,” Kallas said in a statement.