270 rockets in 48 hours: Why the Pakistan-Afghanistan border is suddenly on edge

Pakistan’s Kunar barrage raises the stakes in a fast-worsening Afghanistan conflict

• 270+ rockets fired from Pakistan into Afghanistan's Kunar Province
• Pakistan conducts airstrikes on Taliban and TTP in Afghanistan
• No casualties reported yet; tensions remain high along the border

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Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated sharply, with more than 270 rockets and artillery shells fired from Pakistan into Afghanistan’s Kunar Province over the past 48 hours, according to sources cited by CNN-News18.

The barrage targeted multiple districts in the eastern Afghan province bordering Pakistan, marking one of the most intense episodes of cross-border shelling since fighting between the two sides intensified earlier this year.

Ziaurrahman Spin Ghar, director of information at Kunar’s Department of Information and Culture, confirmed that several areas across the province were affected by the strikes. He said no casualties had been reported so far.

Conflict ongoing since February

Pakistan and Afghanistan have effectively been in open conflict since February 21, when Pakistan launched airstrikes on camps linked to militant groups inside Afghan territory.

The attacks prompted retaliation from the Afghan Taliban, triggering a cycle of daily clashes, drone strikes and cross-border exchanges along the rugged frontier between the two countries.

Since then, security incidents have continued to escalate, with both sides accusing each other of harbouring militant groups responsible for attacks across the border.

Pakistan intensifies air campaign

Earlier this week, Pakistan carried out a series of airstrikes across multiple locations inside Afghanistan, targeting what it described as militant positions.

According to Pakistani intelligence sources, the operations focused on high-value targets linked to the Afghan Taliban and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the militant group that has carried out numerous attacks inside Pakistan.

However, the Afghan Taliban rejected Islamabad’s claims and accused Pakistan of killing civilians in the strikes.

Taliban officials warned that the attacks “will not go unanswered.”

Multiple locations targeted

Local reports and intelligence sources said Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter jets conducted coordinated strikes on several sites across Afghanistan.

Among the locations reportedly targeted were:

• Kandahar airport
• Military positions in Paktia province
• Sites in Kabul

One reported target was the headquarters of the Taliban’s Al-Badr Corps in Kandahar city, where senior commanders were believed to be present during the attack.

The reported strikes suggest Pakistan’s campaign is expanding beyond border regions to include strategic Taliban military infrastructure deeper inside Afghanistan.

Rising instability along the border

The latest rocket barrage into Kunar underscores the deepening crisis along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, a volatile region that has long been a flashpoint for militant activity.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of allowing the TTP to operate from Afghan territory, while Kabul has rejected the allegation and accused Islamabad of violating Afghan sovereignty through air and artillery strikes.