Pakistan Airstrikes Kill Hundreds in Afghanistan, Displacing Thousands in 2026 'Open War'
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 15
Pakistan Airstrikes Kill Hundreds in Afghanistan, Displacing Thousands in 2026 'Open War'
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 15
Summary
Hundreds were killed and many thousands displaced after Pakistan declared "open war" with Afghanistan in February 2026 and launched airstrikes, according to the latest account from an Afghan-British journalist.
Kabul residents described Pakistani drones firing rockets, with explosions and flames spreading fear that homes could be hit next.
The strikes have compounded Afghanistan's wider humanitarian collapse under Taliban rule, where the UN has warned of systemic abuses against women and half the population faces severe food insecurity.
Six million refugees have also been forced back into Afghanistan by Iran and Pakistan, adding pressure as European officials have held closed-door talks with the Taliban in Brussels.
Five years after the August 2021 Western withdrawal, the account portrays a country where war, repression and economic desperation have eclipsed much of everyday public life.
With millions facing starvation, could the very global isolation meant to punish the Taliban actually be destroying Afghanistan's future?
As millions of refugees are forced back into a collapsed state, what hidden resistance movements are brewing beneath the regime's silence?
Five years after the Taliban's return, how are exiled artists secretly preserving a nation's erased identity through smuggled masterpieces?
"Afghanistan-Pakistan Border War 2026: Escalating Conflict, Humanitarian Catastrophe, and Regional Instability"
Overview
The conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalated rapidly after a suicide bombing in Bajaur triggered Pakistani airstrikes, leading to a cycle of retaliation and large-scale military operations. This violence caused devastating civilian casualties, including the Omid Hospital airstrike, and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes. As Pakistan closed borders and suspended trade, Afghan traders rerouted goods through Iran, causing import costs and inflation to soar. Meanwhile, the outbreak of war in the Middle East further disrupted humanitarian aid, leaving Afghanistan’s most vulnerable without food or medical supplies. Diplomatic efforts repeatedly failed, deepening the humanitarian and economic crisis on both sides of the border.