Pakistan: Across the Durand Line: Afghanistan-Pakistan retaliation and the risk of a regional spiral
Introduction: A Crisis Reignited on 26–27 February 2026 Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have surged into one of the most serious cross-border military escalations in recent years. On 26 February 2026, Afghan forces—under the de facto Taliban administration—announced large-scale retaliatory strikes against Pakistani military positions along the Durand Line in response to Pakistani airstrikes earlier…