Overview
- Explosions were reported in Jalalabad on Saturday and Taliban officials said overnight anti‑aircraft fire in Kabul early Sunday targeted Pakistani aircraft, according to AFP reporters and a government spokesman.
- Pakistan’s leadership declared an open war and confirmed strikes on Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia, describing them as retaliation for Afghan cross‑border assaults and alleged militant sanctuaries.
- Taliban authorities said they launched large‑scale operations and claimed to have seized Pakistani outposts, while Islamabad reported heavy Taliban losses; casualty figures from both sides remain unverified.
- The UN mission in Afghanistan said earlier Pakistani bombardments killed at least 13 civilians, and local accounts described injuries near the Torkham border in an area housing Afghan returnees.
- International actors urged restraint or offered to mediate, with the UN, China, Iran and Saudi Arabia calling for de‑escalation, and a senior U.S. official voicing support for Pakistan’s right to self‑defense.