Pakistan’s air strikes in the eastern border province of Afghanistan have left at least 46 people dead, according to the Taliban government. The strikes targeted the Barmal district of Paktika province, with the majority of casualties being women and children. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the casualties, adding that six others were injured, most of them children.
The air raids occurred on Tuesday night and are reported to have hit four separate locations in Barmal. One of the victims, Maleel, a resident of the area, told AFP that the bombing wiped out an entire family, with 18 members of one household killed. In another house, three people died and several others were wounded.
The Taliban swiftly condemned the air strikes, calling them “barbaric” and labeling them a “clear aggression” against Afghan sovereignty. A statement from the Taliban’s Ministry of Defence emphasized that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan would not let the attack go unanswered, asserting its right to defend its territory.
This bombing follows a pattern of escalating border tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, especially since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. There have been numerous skirmishes along the border, with both sides accusing each other of harboring militants. Pakistan has accused the Taliban government of providing a safe haven for fighters from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group aligned with the Afghan Taliban, and blamed them for cross-border attacks. Kabul, however, denies these accusations.
The most recent incident occurs amid a period of heightened tension, following a deadly raid last week by the Pakistani Taliban on a Pakistani military outpost near the Afghanistan border. The raid, which killed 16 soldiers, has further aggravated the already fragile relations between the two countries.
Pakistan has yet to comment officially on the air strikes that have claimed so many lives in Afghanistan. The timing of the attack is significant, coming just hours after Taliban officials met with Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan in Kabul, raising questions about the diplomatic discussions taking place between the two governments.
Sources By Agencies
