The war between Pakistan and Afghanistan leaves hundreds dead and thousands displaced in six days

BarcelonaSix days after the resumption of fighting, the "Open war" declared by Pakistan in Afghanistan Last week's conflict resulted in hundreds of victims and thousands of displaced people, although the exact number of casualties and refugees remains unknown. While the Pakistani government claimed on Wednesday to have killed 481 Taliban fighters and wounded 696 others in Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq, authorities in Kabul put the death toll of their soldiers at 28. According to the same source, 150 soldiers have died on both sides of the border, known as the Duran Line, which stretches for 2,600 kilometers. The United Nations, for its part, has confirmed the displacement of 8,000 people and the deaths of 42 civilians, including women and children, from artillery fire and airstrikes. One missile attack from Pakistan, for example, landed near a camp housing displaced people. due to the 2025 Kunar earthquakeThe result of this incident, according to data from the Norwegian Refugee Council, has been three deaths and seven injuries. Some 650 families have been forced to flee again. The conflict has already devolved into a war of attrition against fortified positions. The Pakistani Ministry of Information, under the leadership of Attaullah Tarar, claims to have disrupted the Taliban's logistical capabilities by destroying 226 border checkpoints and capturing another 35. According to official reports of the operation, the Pakistani army has eliminated 198 pieces of heavy machinery, including tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery pieces, through airstrikes targeting 56 strategic locations in the provinces of Kunar, Paktika, and Khost. The forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan maintain a contrasting version of the situation on the front lines. According to their statements, their troops captured 10 Pakistani checkpoints and destroyed a tank, in addition to shooting down five surveillance and attack drones. The disparity in damage reports underscores the difficulty of verifying the true extent of the conflict and destruction in border areas that have remained closed to the independent press since October 12.

Impact on basic services

Beyond the military front, the attacks have struck essential service centers. The UN has confirmed severe damage to an emergency hospital and the Torkham border traffic center, a vital point for the flow of humanitarian and commercial aid between Pakistan and Afghanistan. This situation has forced the World Food Programme to halt its operations in the most volatile areas, leaving thousands without basic assistance. According to local reports, residents of provinces such as Panjshir and Kapisa are reporting bombings that have directly affected homes, schools, and mosques, and have displaced 8,000 people seeking refuge away from the front lines.

Politically, the situation is at a standstill. Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi conveyed to Chinese Ambassador Zhao Xing that any violation of Afghan sovereignty will have consequences for the stability of the entire region. Despite attempts by China and Turkey to mediate, positions remain entrenched: Islamabad demands that Kabul cease harboring the jihadist group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while the Taliban accuse Pakistan of using "illogical excuses" to justify its actions. In this regard, Hamdullah Fitrat, a Taliban government spokesman, told the Qatari network Al Jazeera that "the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan seeks to resolve the issue through diplomatic channels." He also emphasized that his country "did not start the war, but is engaged in a defensive conflict." Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has held talks with the Pakistani government to try to restore the ceasefire, offering Ankara as a venue for future negotiations. However, the lack of an explicit condemnation of Islamabad's military actions and the closure of the Pakistani embassy in Kabul suggest that a short-term diplomatic resolution is, at present, unlikely.

The current "open war," as the Pakistani government declared last week, is the biggest escalation yet of the simmering conflict between the two countries since in October, when Kabul and Islamabad They agreed to a ceasefire after a week of hostilities. The current clash is the most serious since the return from the Taliban to power, in August 2021.