Pakistani Airstrikes Kill 12 in Afghanistan, Including Children

At least 12 people, including 11 children, died in Pakistani airstrikes near the Afghan border, marking the deadliest attacks in weeks. The Taliban government reported that the Pakistani army violated Afghan airspace and bombed civilian homes in the Kunar, Khost, and Paktika provinces.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban government, stated on X that the attacks also killed one woman and one elderly man. A local official in Khost province, speaking anonymously to AFP, confirmed that a strike on a house in Spera district resulted in nine deaths and ten injuries. In the neighboring Paktika province, another attack in Barmal district killed three children, according to local residents.

The Pakistani military and the prime minister's office have not yet responded to requests for comment from AFP. A relative calm had recently returned to the border region after sporadic clashes. However, relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated significantly since the Taliban regained power in 2021, primarily over security concerns. Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering militants from the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), who have claimed responsibility for deadly attacks in Pakistan, a charge Afghanistan denies.

Pakistan maintains its strikes target these militants and does not intentionally harm civilians. The border has remained largely closed since violence escalated in October, disrupting bilateral trade.