Afghanistan and Pakistan are fighting again, trading deadly shelling and mortar fire across their rugged border, with Pakistan’s defense minister saying his country’s patience had “run out” and declaring “open war” on its Taliban-run neighbor.
It’s the latest flare-up in an on-off conflict that pitches Pakistan’s well-funded, powerful and nuclear-armed military against hardened Afghan Taliban fighters with decades of battle experience – including victory over US and NATO forces in 2021 after years of insurgency.
Here’s what we know about the latest violence, which threatens to exacerbate instability in the region.
Late Thursday night the Taliban’s military…