Pakistan declared “open war” on Afghanistan’s Taliban government and launched Operation Ghazab Lil Haq after airstrikes hit Kabul and Kandahar, marking a dramatic escalation in border tensions.
BY PC Bureau
February 27, 2026:Pakistan may have lost one of its prized American-made F-16 fighter jets as casualties mounted sharply in its escalating military confrontation with Afghanistan, after Islamabad declared what it called an “open war” against the Afghan Taliban government.
Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban has claimed that at least 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory cross-border operations, while Pakistan said its forces killed 133 Afghan fighters during the latest round of fighting. The sharply conflicting figures underscore the scale of the confrontation, which marks one of the deadliest escalations between the two neighbours in recent years.
Amid the intensifying hostilities, a Taliban-linked social media account shared a video purportedly showing the wreckage of a burning F-16 fighter jet allegedly belonging to Pakistan. The footage appears to show the aircraft’s vertical stabiliser bearing a Pakistani flag, with the number “85510” visible near the exhaust. Pakistani authorities have not confirmed the loss of any aircraft.
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READ: Pak Airstrikes rock Afghan cities as Taliban claim 55 enemy soldiers killed
The escalation followed Pakistan’s airstrikes on multiple Afghan cities, including Kabul and Kandahar, early Friday, in response to what Islamabad said were attacks by Afghan forces on Pakistani border troops. The Taliban government said those attacks were retaliatory strikes after earlier Pakistani air raids killed civilians.
Pakistan formally declared a major military campaign, named “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,” against Afghan Taliban forces. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif issued a stark warning as the operation began.
“Our patience has reached its limit. Now it is open war between us and you,” Asif said in a post on X.
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Afghanistan claims it has shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet.🚀🔥 pic.twitter.com/VG0oBMxdm1
— RAJAT (@RajatJain) February 27, 2026
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Afghanistan’s defence ministry said its forces launched large-scale counterattacks along the disputed Durand Line, claiming to have captured Pakistani military posts, destroyed equipment and inflicted heavy losses. Afghan authorities also acknowledged casualties on their side, including fighters killed and wounded during the clashes.
Pakistan, however, rejected Taliban claims of battlefield gains and said its military was delivering a decisive response to what it described as unprovoked aggression. Islamabad has long accused Kabul of failing to act against militant groups operating along the frontier, an allegation the Taliban government denies.
The reported downing of an F-16, if confirmed, would represent a significant symbolic and operational loss for Pakistan, whose air force relies heavily on the advanced US-made jets for combat missions.
With airstrikes, ground assaults and artillery exchanges now underway across multiple sectors, fears are growing that the conflict could escalate into a prolonged and wider war along one of South Asia’s most volatile borders.
