Pakistani airstrikes targeting armed groups in Afghanistan killed nine people, mostly women and children, according to the Afghan Taliban government. Pakistan reported its precision raids destroyed militant hideouts and killed 22 fighters, marking a severe escalation in cross-border violence between the neighbors.
The overnight bombardment struck multiple locations across Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar and southern Helmand provinces, igniting a fierce dispute over casualties and territorial security as reported by Al Jazeera. The cross-border operation follows three months of relative calm between the two nations, whose relations have frayed over persistent allegations of cross-border militancy.
Afghan Officials Count Civilian Dead After Overnight Bombardment
Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that the airstrikes leveled three houses in Shultan district in Kunar and Safar area of Garmser district in Helmand according to Amu TV. Local officials confirmed that the dead included nine women and children, while 11 others sustained injuries during the early morning hours.
Pakistan Ministry of Information Reports Precision Strikes
In direct contradiction to the civilian casualty reports, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information insisted the operation achieved its military objectives without non-combatant casualties. The ministry stated that well-planned and calibrated aerial strikes targeted safe havens utilized by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, also known as the TTP, and the Balochistan Liberation Army.
Pakistani security sources maintained that the compounds served as active launch pads for cross-border attacks noted Balochistanpulse, adding that a media operations center operated by the banned Balochistan Liberation Army in Helmand was among the facilities destroyed. Islamabad asserted that 22 terrorists were killed alongside large quantities of stored weapons and ammunition.
Diplomatic Ties Fray Further as Border Clashes Persist
The latest air raids follow a steep diplomatic downward spiral between Islamabad and Kabul. Pakistani officials have repeatedly accused the Afghan administration of providing sanctuary to insurgent groups that stage high-profile attacks inside Pakistan, a charge the Taliban consistently reject by claiming that insecurity remains an internal Pakistani matter.
Regional mediation efforts led by Turkey and Qatar have failed to produce tangible breakthroughs according to AtlasPress News Agency, following high-level diplomatic visits to both capitals earlier in the month. Meanwhile, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan documented more than 1,100 civilian casualties resulting from cross-border violence throughout the year.