The Afghan-Pakistan War Is Spiraling Out of Control
Clashes between Pakistan’s military and Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers took a bloody turn this week as an air strike in Kabul killed at least 100 people. With world attention focused on the Middle East, there’s little sign of either side backing down.
The hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban government escalated dramatically this week after an air strike in Kabul killed at least 100 people. Neither of these former allies appears willing to back down from military confrontation. (Aimal Zahir / AFP via Getty Images)
Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Asif, recently said that the country is in a state of “open war” with Afghanistan. Asif issued this statement after Islamabad launched air strikes deep inside its neighbor’s territory. Both countries have engaged in hostile acts against one another.
The confrontation between these former allies has now escalated dramatically after Pakistani forces carried out strikes in Nangarhar province and Kabul on the night of March 16. A drug rehabilitation center was hit in the Afghan capital, reportedly killing at least one hundred people and attracting widespread condemnation.
In the aftermath, Taliban spokesmen stated that the time for diplomacy was over and promised revenge for the loss of civilian life. Pakistani government ministers retorted by insisting that no hospital was targeted and vowing to carry on with their military campaign. Neither side appears willing to back down.
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