Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Conflict Escalates

Afghanistan and Pakistan are engaged in their heaviest fighting in years, with Afghanistan firing at Pakistani jets over Kabul in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes against government installations. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring Pakistani Taliban militants, which Afghanistan denies, asserting that Pakistan's security challenges are internal. The conflict has raised fears of a protracted war along their 2,600km border, prompting international calls for restraint and mediation from countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, the European Union, and the United Nations. The United States supports Pakistan's right to defend itself. This regional instability is compounded by recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks on US targets in Gulf states.