Pakistan launches new airstrikes in Afghanistan, kills nine
Pakistan has conducted a new wave of airstrikes across the border into Afghanistan. Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the casualties, with the Afghan Taliban stating the attacks killed nine civilians while Islamabad claims it eliminated 22 militants.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, said the strikes hit homes in the Kunar and Helmand provinces. He reported that women and children were among the nine dead and 11 injured. Mujahid condemned the military action on X, describing it as an aggression and a crime that violates accepted international principles.
Pakistan’s information ministry offered a starkly different account. Officials described the operation as a well-planned attack targeting terrorist camps housing large quantities of weapons. The ministry insisted the military took maximum precautions to prevent collateral damage.
Eyewitness accounts contradict Islamabad’s narrative. Qudratullah, a resident of Garmsir, reported that the bombardment began at 3:30 a.m. local time (midnight BST) and lasted for half an hour. He described fleeing with his children after the initial explosions. A subsequent strike hit a neighbouring property, killing up to five family members and injuring others.
Escalating border conflict
These strikes mark a continued deterioration in relations between the two nations. Islamabad routinely accuses the Afghan Taliban of harbouring militant factions that orchestrate cross-border attacks into Pakistani territory. Kabul consistently denies these allegations, maintaining that Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter.
Hostilities escalated significantly in February when Pakistan declared an «open war» with Afghanistan following a surge in deadly border clashes. A fragile ceasefire brokered by China in March quickly collapsed.
The regional security situation remains volatile. Last month, provincial police blamed the Pakistani Taliban for an assault on a security facility in northwest Pakistan that left 24 people dead. Pakistan launched previous airstrikes last week hitting multiple Afghan provinces including Kandahar, which resulted in four civilian deaths according to Taliban officials.
