Pakistani leaders were once friends of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Now, cross-border violence has become alarmingly frequent.

Kabul, Afghanistan - In a significant escalation of cross-border tensions, Afghanistan's Defence Ministry announced on Saturday that its forces conducted retaliatory strikes inside Pakistan . The response follows a deadly airstrike by Pakistan in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province last week that reportedly killed dozens,

Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government, which launched strikes on Pakistani military posts over the weekend, said it won’t escalate the situation but warned it will retaliate if attacked again.

Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have reached a boiling point, with fears of escalation to an all-out war after the Taliban deployed troops to the border in response to deadly strikes and rising hostilities.

Deadly Clashes Shake the Region Hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan have intensified, resulting in the loss of at least one Pakistani security official and dozens of Afghan civilians. The violence stems from Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktia province,