Pakistan and Afghanistan used to be allies but they're edging towards all-out war

Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan on Thursday night, with both sides offering different accounts of the outcome. The Taliban said nine to 10 civilians died; Pakistan said it killed 22 militants and hit weapons stores.

The strikes are part of renewed fighting that flared in mid-September after months of relative calm. A September 18 attack on a police compound in Kohat killed 31 people and injured more than 100. A Pakistani Taliban splinter faction claimed responsibility.

Islamabad says Afghanistan gives the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, a refuge. Kabul denies the accusation. Border clashes and Pakistani airstrikes followed. The TTP is separate from Afghanistan’s Taliban, though the groups share ideological and personal ties.

The TTP fights Pakistan’s government, and some of its members fought alongside the Afghan Taliban during its insurgency. Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, the TTP has had more space to operate, increasing concern in Pakistan.

Pakistan has urged Afghanistan’s rulers to act against the TTP, but their links complicate cooperation. Analysts cited in the article say those ties do not necessarily give the Afghan Taliban direct control over the group, and Kabul resists outside pressure. Talks have repeatedly failed to resolve the dispute.