Afghanistan's Taliban-led government has strongly condemned Pakistan's latest cross-border airstrikes, describing them as a "cowardly act of aggression" after the attacks reportedly killed and wounded dozens of people in eastern Afghanistan. The strikes targeted areas in the provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Kunar along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
Taliban officials said the air raids caused significant civilian casualties, with local media reporting that more than 30 people were killed and over 100 others injured. The Afghan administration accused Pakistan of violating its sovereignty and targeting residential areas, claiming that many of the victims were women and children.
Pakistan, however, said the operation was aimed at militant hideouts belonging to the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and other armed groups operating from Afghan territory. Islamabad stated that at least 29 militants were killed during joint ground and air operations carried out in response to a recent surge in attacks inside Pakistan, including a deadly assault on the paramilitary Rangers' headquarters in Karachi.
The latest strikes have further escalated tensions between the two neighbours, whose relations have deteriorated sharply in recent months. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban government of harbouring militants responsible for attacks on its soil, an allegation that Kabul has consistently denied.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the airstrikes as a humanitarian crime and warned that such actions could have serious consequences for regional stability. Afghan authorities have called on the international community to intervene and prevent further violations of Afghan territory.
The violence comes despite several rounds of diplomatic efforts, including mediation by regional powers, aimed at easing border tensions. Analysts warn that the latest exchange could further undermine hopes of restoring calm along the volatile Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier and raise the risk of a broader military confrontation between the two countries.
