Islamabad: Pakistan has launched multiple overnight air strikes inside Afghanistan, leading to reports of civilian deaths and fresh diplomatic tension. The Taliban authorities said the strikes killed at least 18 people, including women and children, in eastern and southern provinces near the border.
Islamabad stated that the attacks targeted seven militant camps and hideouts following recent suicide bombings inside Pakistan. Officials described the operation as intelligence based and selective. Targets reportedly included members of Tehreek i Taliban Pakistan and Islamic State Khorasan Province.
Afghan authorities rejected Pakistan’s claims. The Taliban defence ministry said the strikes hit civilian homes and a religious school in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces. In Girdi Kas village of Nangarhar, residents reported heavy destruction. One survivor said only five members of a 23 member family remained alive after their house was struck. Local Taliban officials confirmed 18 deaths from the same family.
No casualties were reported from other strike locations. Local officials said a guesthouse and a religious school in Paktika stood empty during the attacks. Several homes were damaged in Balish village in the Urgun district.
The strikes followed a fragile ceasefire agreed in October after cross border clashes. Fighting has continued since then. Pakistan accused the Afghan Taliban of failing to act against militants operating from Afghan soil and claimed evidence linked recent attacks to leadership based there. Recent bombings in Pakistan included an attack on a Shia mosque in Islamabad and incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during Ramadan.
The Taliban condemned the air strikes as a violation of Afghanistan’s territorial integrity and international law. It warned of a measured response at a time of its choosing. The incident risks deeper instability along the 1,600 mile border shared by the two countries.
