Pakistan says it carried out airstrikes against militant targets inside Afghanistan, claiming that at least 28 militants and suicide bombers were killed in the operation.
Pakistan’s Information Ministry said the strikes targeted three locations and were part of a counterterrorism operation following recent attacks against Pakistani security forces. A Pakistani security official said the strikes took place in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces of Paktika and Kunar.
The strikes followed a deadly attack on a police facility in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where Pakistani officials reported that at least 24 people were killed. Pakistan has accused militant groups operating from Afghanistan of carrying out attacks inside its territory.
Afghanistan Reports Civilian Deaths
- Afghan Taliban authorities condemned the Pakistani strikes and said civilians were killed.
- The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed the deaths of three civilians a man, a woman and a girl in Kunar province, while four other people were reported injured. Afghan officials said a residential house was hit during the strikes.
- Afghan officials also said strikes in Paktika damaged a shop and an unoccupied house.
Afghanistan Warns of Response
- Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Taliban government, condemned the strikes and said Afghanistan would respond. Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry also summoned Pakistan’s charge daffaires in Kabul and lodged a formal protest, describing the strikes as a violation of Afghan sovereignty.
- Pakistan, meanwhile, has repeatedly accused Kabul of allowing militant groups, including the Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from Afghan territory. The Afghan government rejects the allegation and says militancy inside Pakistan is an internal security issue.
Tensions Rise Again
- The latest strikes break nearly three months of relative calm along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Cross border violence has already intensified this year, with Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanging accusations and carrying out military operations against alleged militant targets.
- The conflicting casualty claims Pakistan’s reported 28 militants killed and Afghanistan and the UN’s confirmation of three civilian deaths could further increase tensions between the two neighboring countries.
- The situation remains fluid, with concerns that further military action could lead to another escalation along the border.
