Pakistani Airstrikes Hit Afghan Border Provinces, Dozens Of Civilians Killed

Several Afghan civilians were killed and many others injured after Pakistan carried out airstrikes along the volatile Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Afghan authorities said.

Kabul alleged that residential areas in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces were struck during the operation. According to the Afghan government, dozens of people were killed or wounded in the bombardment.

“Last night, they bombed our civilian compatriots in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, martyring and wounding dozens of people, including women and children,” Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a post on X.

Confirming the operation, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated in a post on X, “Pakistan has carried out intelligence-based selective targeting of seven terrorist camps and hideouts belonging to Pakistani Taliban and its affiliates in the border region.”

Tarar added that the action also targeted an alleged affiliate of the Islamic State group that had claimed responsibility for the recent mosque attack in Islamabad, which left 31 people dead and more than 160 injured. The incident was among the deadliest assaults in the Pakistani capital since the 2008 Marriott hotel bombing.

Pak Cites Safety And Security Of Citizens Behind Attack

In a separate statement, the Pakistani Army said that despite repeated efforts urging the Afghan Taliban regime to take verifiable steps against militant groups operating from Afghan soil, no substantive action had been taken.

“Pakistan has always strived to maintain peace and stability in the region, but at the same time, the safety and security of our citizens remains our top priority,” the statement said, adding that the strikes were a retributive response targeting camps of the Pakistani Taliban of FAK, its affiliates, and ISKP with precision.

Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have escalated since the Taliban regained control of Kabul in 2021. Bilateral relations have sharply deteriorated amid deadly border clashes and repeated accusations by Islamabad that Afghan territory shelters militants targeting Pakistan.

The Taliban government in Kabul has consistently rejected these allegations.