Pakistan Launches Airstrikes in Eastern Afghanistan, Killing 46 Amid Taliban Fury
Pakistan conducted airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, reportedly killing 46 civilians, including women and children, according to the Taliban on Wednesday.
The Taliban condemned the strikes as “clear aggression” and vowed retaliation. They claimed the attacks targeted residential areas in the Barmal district of Paktika province.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said, “Most of the victims were women and children,” adding that six others were injured. Residents reported entire families perished in the bombardment.
Pakistan’s security forces defended the strikes, asserting they targeted Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) “terrorist hideouts.” A senior Pakistani official, speaking anonymously, dismissed claims of civilian casualties as “baseless and misleading.”
The strikes follow heightened tensions on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where Islamabad accuses Kabul’s Taliban regime of sheltering militants responsible for attacks on Pakistani soil. Taliban officials deny the allegations.
Pakistan’s military cited the recent TTP raid on an army outpost near the border, which killed 16 soldiers, as a major trigger for the airstrikes.
Taliban authorities branded the strikes “barbaric” and promised a robust response, stating, “Defending our territory and sovereignty is an inalienable right.”
The border regions have historically been hotspots for militancy, with North Waziristan being a focal point of operations against insurgents.
The strikes occurred hours after high-level talks between Taliban officials and Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan in Kabul.
This latest incident underscores the escalating hostilities between the two nations and raises concerns about further destabilization in the region.
