The frontier between Pakistan and Afghanistan has erupted again, as Kabul confirms a second wave of retaliatory strikes on Pakistani territory, deepening fears that a simmering border crisis is sliding toward full‑blown war.

In a late‑night statement, Afghanistan’s Taliban‑led Defence Ministry claimed its forces had targeted Pakistani army posts, supply depots and an intelligence compound along the Durand Line, framing the operation as a “legitimate response” to earlier Pakistani air raids that Kabul says killed civilians. Residents on both sides report hours of shelling, drone overflights and the roar of jets in the early morning darkness.

Pakistani officials accuse Afghanistan of “unprovoked aggression”, saying several artillery shells and rockets landed near military installations and civilian villages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Islamabad insists it has the right to hit militant sanctuaries across the border and has placed its air force and rapid‑reaction units on high alert, warning Kabul that any further strikes will be “answered in kind and with interest.”

Border crossings have been abruptly sealed, trade convoys turned back and thousands of families are now fleeing contested valleys, fearful that the next barrage could be heavier — or less accurate. Aid agencies are scrambling to reach newly displaced people in rugged terrain where roads are few and cellphone coverage patchy.

Regional powers, already anxious about jihadist spillover and refugee flows, are urging an immediate ceasefire and direct talks. But with Afghanistan now openly boasting of a “second wave” and Pakistan promising a “decisive reply”, analysts warn the crisis is entering a dangerous phase in which national pride, not prudence, may drive the next move.