Pakistan Pledges ‘Open War’ With Afghanistan; Taliban’s Supreme Emir Reported Killed in Airstrike – RedState
Ongoing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated into what looks like a full-fledged war. Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, in a carefully worded statement, criticized the Taliban for violating “the rights that Islam grants to women” (can we laugh at this point?); he reminded the Taliban that the Pakistani army will not disappear; and, in a final dramatic flourish, declared that “open war” existed between the two countries.
In a clear message on X, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif made the following statement:
After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it was expected that peace would prevail in Afghanistan and the Taliban would focus on the interests of the Afghan people and the region… pic.twitter.com/1btsJMk0Ub
– South Asia Monitoring (@MuhammadAli_PhD) February 27, 2026
This round of hostilities began on Sunday when Pakistan launched air attacks on “refugee camps” inside Afghanistan. The Pakistanis say the strikes targeted the Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and their affiliates, as well as a group associated with the Islamic State. According to the Afghans, the strikes targeted an Islamic seminary and “several civilian homes”. 18 people were reported killed, including women and children. From the outset, it must be noted that both camps are inveterate and incorrigible liars who I would not believe if they told me that the sky is blue.
Of course, the airstrikes did not take place in isolation. Pakistan has been hit by a series of bombings over the past month, targeting military personnel and Shia Muslims, the religion of peace and everything in between, right?
On Thursday, the Afghan Taliban government launched a so-called offensive against Pakistani military bases along the border.
There appears to be footage of the Taliban sending reinforcements to the Pakistani border following recent Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan that killed 18 people (at least, according to the Taliban….).
It appears that the US military equipment that President Biden gave them is still… pic.twitter.com/4ah74wMHJZ
-Mrgunsngear (@Mrgunsngear) February 26, 2026
Pakistan quickly responded with a new round of airstrikes against targets in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and the provinces of Kandahar and Paktika. Airstrikes in Khandahar reportedly killed Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Hibatullah Akhundzada.
In case you missed it.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are at war.A great example of the fact that the concept of “one Muslim nation” (umma) is a big MYTH.
The Pakistani Air Force has officially struck the Afghan Taliban headquarters in Kabul.
Mullah Hibatullah, the leader of Afghanistan with… pic.twitter.com/g8MIRA28Zo– Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) February 27, 2026
Pakistan bombed Taliban government forces in Afghanistan’s main cities on the night of February 27, the first time it has directly targeted its former allies, and has described the situation as “open war”, increasing tensions in a volatile and nuclear-armed region https://t.co/yGqydOWHSZ pic.twitter.com/yqa9WNRi8g
-Reuters (@Reuters) February 27, 2026
Afghanistan has a storied history with Pakistan dating back to the Durand Line of 1893 which demarcated the border between British India and Afghanistan. Afghanistan has never accepted the border and the disputed region’s Pashtun majority identifies with Afghanistan. Many attribute the emergence of the TTP in 2007 to a backlash against Pakistan’s attempt to use the US punitive expedition to Afghanistan as a means to gain control of disputed border areas. Since Biden’s ignominious withdrawal in 2021, the TTP has nothing better to do than kill Pakistanis. I previously published an article about this ongoing war in Fighting Erupts Between Pakistan and the Taliban, Proving Karma Does Have a Sense of Humor – RedState.
The Taliban are not falling for this. They threaten to use battalions of suicide bombers.
– Random Thought (@RNDTHOT) February 27, 2026
They don’t seem to be bluffing.
🇵🇰 Suicide bomber kills 4 police officers in Pakistan
A Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up at a police checkpoint in Bhakkar, Punjab on Wednesday, killing 4 police officers and injuring 3 civilians. pic.twitter.com/rgUOLY6ceC
– Visegrad 24 (@visegrad24) February 27, 2026
Saudi Arabia has a mutual defense treaty with Pakistan that was not invoked during the last crisis, but this time around the Saudis are understood to have offered assistance.
BREAKING: 🇸🇦🇵🇰🇦🇫 Saudi Arabia says it is ready to deploy its air force to fight the Afghan Taliban if Pakistan requests it. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have a defense agreement under which an attack on one country is considered an attack on both. pic.twitter.com/ZWa8Vpinby
– War Radar (@War_Radar2) February 27, 2026
And there’s the elephant in the room: Pakistan has nuclear weapons tailor-made to strike targets like those found in Afghanistan. In my opinion, the destruction of parts of Afghanistan should be considered a likely outcome if this war escalates.
During the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1986, the world was treated to the spectacle of two loathsome regimes ruthlessly killing each other, giving civilization a welcome reprieve and improving the gene pool. Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger reportedly joked: “It’s a shame they can’t both lose.” I feel much the same way about this war. Pakistan has been complicit in the deaths of virtually everyone killed during the 20-year war in Afghanistan. He armed the Taliban and gave them refuge. This hampered American military operations. Yet all this time we had to pretend they were allies. The Taliban represent an ugly and degraded culture that remains primitive even by 7th century standards. I really hope we find a way to prove Kissinger wrong.
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