A Pakistani airstrike in Afghanistan’s Paktika province reportedly killed at least 46 people, including many civilians and children, according to Afghan Taliban spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat. The incident, described as a “heinous act” by Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, has further strained the already tense relations between the two neighbors.
The airstrike targeted the Barmal district of Paktika late Tuesday, primarily hitting civilians, many of whom were refugees from Pakistan’s Waziristan region. “Most of the civilians whom are Waziristani refugees, were targeted, and a number of civilians including children were martyred and injured,” the Afghan Ministry of Defense said in a statement. Additionally, six people, mostly children, were injured in the attack, Fitrat told AFP.
Local residents and security officials provided differing accounts of the death toll. Residents told the Associated Press (AP) that at least 13 people were killed, though they acknowledged that the toll could rise. Meanwhile, the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed the strike killed 50 people, including 27 women and children.
The Pakistani military has not commented on the alleged airstrike. However, unnamed security officials cited by the AP said the attack targeted a training facility for insurgents near the Afghan border.
The incident has drawn sharp condemnation from Afghanistan’s Taliban government, which called it a violation of international norms and sovereignty. “The Islamic Emirate will not leave this heinous act unanswered; rather, it considers it its right to defend its territory and sovereignty,” Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense declared.
Mohammad Khurasani, the TTP spokesperson, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that the victims included a significant number of women and children. The TTP, a separate but closely allied group of the Afghan Taliban, has been in conflict with Pakistan for years. Tensions between the two countries have only escalated since the Afghan Taliban seized power in August 2021, following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces after two decades of war.
Islamabad has accused Kabul of harboring TTP fighters who launch attacks on Pakistani soil. In turn, the Taliban government has denied these allegations and criticized Pakistan for violating Afghan sovereignty through military strikes.
This is not the first time Pakistan has been accused of cross-border attacks. In March, a similar airstrike by Pakistan near the Afghan border killed eight civilians, sparking outrage from Kabul.
The ongoing border tensions highlight the fragile state of relations between the two nations, with Islamabad grappling with militant activities along its borders and Afghanistan asserting its right to territorial integrity. Tuesday’s deadly airstrike is likely to deepen mistrust and provoke further instability in the region.