Agencies | Kabul:
Afghanistan on Wednesday accused Pakistan of carrying out fresh airstrikes on its territory, killing at least 13 people and injuring 14 others in the latest escalation of cross-border hostilities between the two neighbours.
Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes targeted the eastern provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika. According to Afghan authorities, those killed included 11 children, one woman and one elderly man.
“There were 13 martyrs and 14 wounded as a result of the attacks,” Mujahid said, condemning the strikes and accusing Pakistan of violating Afghan sovereignty.
Pakistan did not immediately acknowledge or comment on the reported operation.
The latest incident comes amid months of escalating violence between the two countries. Since late February, Afghanistan and Pakistan have been engaged in a series of cross-border clashes that have left hundreds of people dead.
The current cycle of hostilities began after Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack in retaliation for earlier Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghan territory.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of harbouring militants responsible for deadly attacks in Pakistan, particularly members of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban.
The TTP is a separate organisation from the Afghan Taliban but maintains close ideological and operational ties with the group, which returned to power in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US-led forces in 2021.
Pakistan says TTP fighters use Afghan territory as a safe haven to plan and launch attacks against Pakistani security forces and civilians. The Taliban government in Kabul has consistently denied those allegations, insisting it does not allow Afghan soil to be used against any country.
The reported airstrikes are likely to further strain already tense relations between Kabul and Islamabad, raising concerns about the potential for a broader escalation along the shared border.
