Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province killed at least 46 people, including women and children, according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Wednesday. The attacks, which took place on Tuesday night in the Barmal district, also left six people injured.
Mujahid condemned the attack, calling it “clear aggression” and reaffirmed that the Taliban government would not leave such actions unaddressed.
The Afghan Ministry of Defense issued a statement condemning the airstrikes and stating that the Islamic Emirate would defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
This follows a series of deadly cross-border exchanges between Pakistan and Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021. Tensions have risen, particularly in border regions, where Pakistan has been battling a rise in militant violence.
According to a resident of Barmal, Maleel, the airstrikes devastated several houses and one bombing killed 18 members of a single family. Another attack reportedly killed three people and injured several others, who were subsequently hospitalized.
The Pakistani military has not officially commented on the attack, but the attack comes following a rise in tensions after the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which shares a similar ideology with the Afghan Taliban, claimed responsibility for an attack on a Pakistani army outpost last week, when Pakistani intelligence officials reported that 16 soldiers were martyred in the assault
Despite ongoing border conflicts, both Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed earlier this week to ease tensions and strengthen bilateral relations, and Pakistan’s Special Representative, Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq, visited Kabul to meet with Afghan officials and traders.
Last week, a Pakistani soldier was martyred during an infiltration attempt by terrorists along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, further highlighting the fragile security situation in the region.
