These days, the most embarrassing "brothers turning against each other" in the world is probably Afghanistan and Pakistan.
One is the Taliban, who has just been “liberated” by the United States and thrown away, and one is an old friend who once helped the Taliban to rise to power, as is the case today.
On the evening of October 11, 2025, the old partners finally fell apart and the shells flew directly past.
However, just the day before, the Afghan foreign minister was still chatting and laughing with his Indian counterpart.
Unexpectedly, when he turned around and went home, he pulled out his gun and fired at Ba Tie.
One night my brother turned.
It happened on the night of October 11, 2025.
Not long after dark in eastern Afghanistan, the sound of loud artillery came from the other end of the Pakistani border post.
The Taliban forces suddenly launched a cross-border attack and caught them off guard.
The war spread rapidly, from Kunar, Nanjinghar, to Paktya, and extended.
The Taliban have publicly stated that they are taking action in retaliation for the Pakistani airstrikes on four cities, including Kabul, on the morning of October 10.
The air strike was not light, and the bombing site also included the capital of Afghanistan.
While the Pakistani side has also explained that it was to fight terrorists, the Arab side insists that it was a “violation of sovereignty.”
So, the next night, the Taliban responded directly to a wave of “hard currency” – cross-border artillery.
The conflict that night was to be extremely violent.
The Afghan side claimed that they destroyed 25 outposts, killed 58 Pakistani soldiers and wounded 30 others.
The Pakistani military was not willing to be outdone, and issued a statement saying that it carried out a "precise counterattack" and "eliminated more than 200 enemies. 23 of its own soldiers were killed and 29 were injured."
Pakistan also used heavy artillery to attack many targets in Afghanistan.
Those outposts along the 2,600-kilometer "Duran Line", which were originally distributed in steep mountains, are now almost scorched earth.
In the early morning of October 12, the Pakistani president issued a statement with a resounding tone: national interests, sovereignty, security-not allowing a word.
The prime minister also “strongly condemned” the Taliban’s “unreasonable provocation” and warned of a “strong response.”
On the Afghan side, a government spokesman said that the invaders were fought and the occupied posts were recovered.
This conflict is not just a military friction, but more like a long-standing volcanic eruption.
In just two days, the border trade port between Afghanistan and Pakistan was closed, and hundreds of trucks were stranded.
Those who relied on border business for a living were dumbfounded overnight.
From friend to enemy, step by step to today
The relationship between Pakistan Railway and the Taliban is actually the most troubling drama in South Asia.
A few decades ago, when the Taliban started, it was Pakistan that took the horse.
At that time, they felt that the Taliban could help them stabilize Afghanistan and prevent India from infiltrating, so they gave the green light, sent money, sent people, sent guns, and all-round support.
As a result, after the Taliban came to power, the situation became increasingly wrong.
The self-confidence of Afghanistan’s religious hardships did not buy bills to the Pakistani side.
Pakistan has repeatedly complained that Taliban insurgents are ignored after they attack and run to Afghanistan.
The Afghan side rejected: It’s your homework, don’t deal with us.
Over time, the relationship between the two countries became “dislike and inseparable.”
The border line is more controversial.
Between 1878 and 1880, Britain fought the Second British-Arab War, and although it eventually won, it fought hard.
After the war, in order to prevent Afghanistan from rebelling again, they sent their diplomat Duran to draw a dividing line to cut Afghanistan from British India at the time, which is now Pakistan.
It sounds like an ordinary border division, but this line divides the same nation, the Pushtous, into two halves.
Half to British India and half to Afghanistan.
Here comes the problem: Pashtun people have a strong family concept, and a bunch of relatives are running on both sides of that line.
As a result, the British came down, not only cut the mountains, but also cut the hearts of people.
So the Pakistani side built a fence and a post, and the other side bombed the post and dismantled the fence.
Starting from 2024, the contradiction between the two countries will begin to worsen visibly.
The Pakistani side accused the Albanian side of "adulterating terrorist organizations", and the Albanian side reiterated that the Pakistani side's airstrikes on the Albanian side are the root of destabilization.
By October this year, the fire completely exploded.
Taliban visits India and smiles
Just the day before the gunfire sounded, the Afghan foreign minister was laughing and standing on the red carpet in New Delhi.
From 9 to 14 October 2025, he made a six-day visit to the imprint.
This is the first high-level official visit to India since the Taliban returned to power.
In the past few years, India has stayed at a distance from the Afghan Taliban.
For example, after the Taliban regained power in 2021, the Indian consulate closed.
But on October 10, 2025, the foreign ministers of both sides jointly announced that India and Afghanistan would fully restore diplomatic relations and upgrade an embassy for India in Kabul.
According to the news, South Asian politics have exploded.
India has become one of the few major countries to re-establish direct contacts with the Taliban government.
The Afghan Foreign Minister also brought a bunch of diplomatic and trade officials and met with many Indian businessmen during the trip.
India has not only provided 20 ambulances, state-of-the-art medical equipment, anti-cancer drugs and other aid, but also agreed to allow Indian companies to invest in the mining industry in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan's return was also unambiguous, directly calling India a "close friend" in front of the media.
In a joint statement, the Taliban and India have also indirectly “named” Kashmir, suggesting that India has full sovereignty over the area.
You know, the Kashmir issue is a "headache" for Pakistan.
Listening to this, there is probably a fist on the side of Islamabad.
The Interior Minister immediately issued a statement that the Taliban were suffering.
In fact, India's move was not a whim.
As early as the end of 2024, India allowed the Taliban to set up a special envoy in New Delhi and sent diplomats to visit Kabul earlier this year.
India is clear that every step of its action in Afghanistan engages Pakistan’s nerves.
For India, this is called “win-win”: it is both possible to re-plate the flag in Afghanistan and to “shake” the Pakistani side by hand.
For the Taliban, this is even more a break.
Just a few days ago, Trump also shouted to them to “return” the air base.
The Taliban certainly refused.
In this context, India’s “hand of friendship” appears to be more attractive.
It can be said that at present, Pakistan is wrapped up with artillery on this side, Afghanistan is busy showing out, while India is expanding its influence in secret.
And this sudden border war made Pakistan see a cold fact: the "students" he trained in the past are now looking for new teachers.
References:
The day before the Ba'a conflict broke out, India's foreign ministers and Afghanistan's foreign ministers met at a barbecue, New York Times commented, 2025-10-13
Pakistani military: More than 200 people killed in conflict, Global Times, October 12, 2025
Pakistan closes border crossings with Afghanistan after fierce exchange of fire, Global Times, 2025/10/13
The border situation continues to be tense, and fierce conflicts broke out late at night between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Paper, 2025-10-12
India enthusiastically welcomes Afghan foreign ministers, upgrades diplomatic relations between the two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan take action, news, 2025-10-13