Pakistan says further provocations by the Taliban will be met with ‘decisive response’

Loaded cargo containers at the Torkham Border Terminal, along with vehicles carrying migrants bound for Afghanistan, are forced to turn back toward the Pak-Afghan Highway on the second day of clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan at the Torkham crossing in Pakistan on February 27, 2026. (Hijrat Ali/Anadolu via Getty Images)

(LONDON) — Tensions remain high as Pakistan and Afghanistan exchange airstrikes over the last 24 hours with Pakistan’s defense minister calling it “open war.”

“Any further provocations by the Taliban regime, or attempts by any terrorist group to undermine the security and welfare of the people of Pakistan, will be met with a measured, decisive and befitting response,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday.

Casualties have been reported on both sides, with each side claiming larger enemy losses.

Pakistan claims the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan is providing support for terror groups that have carried out attacks inside Pakistan.

“Pakistan’s actions were undertaken in exercise of its right to self-defense and to ensure the safety and security of its citizens, as well as that of the wider region and beyond,” the statement said.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said Afghanistan’s soil will not be used against any country and highlighted its fight against ISIS as evidence of its commitment to regional security.

Mujahid described Pakistan’s conflict with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as an internal issue that predates the current Afghan government, arguing it is unreasonable to blame Afghanistan for a long-running domestic conflict.

Despite the tensions, Mujahid said the Islamic Emirate prefers resolving disputes through dialogue and understanding, emphasizing that its actions have been in self-defense and that it remains open to peaceful negotiations.

ABC News’ Habibullah Khan and Aleen Agha contributed to this report.