Pakistan's airstrikes in the eastern Afghan province of Paktika have resulted in the deaths of 46 people.
Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated late Tuesday, "The total number of dead is 46, the majority of whom were women and children. Six more people were injured, mostly children."
In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense condemned the strikes, describing them as "barbaric" and "clear aggression." The ministry stressed that the defense of Afghanistan’s territory and sovereignty is a fundamental right, and vowed not to leave the attack unanswered.
A senior Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the airstrikes targeted "terrorist hideouts inside Afghanistan, using a mix of jets and drones."
The strikes come after a series of tensions between the two countries along the border, which have escalated since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. In March, Pakistani airstrikes in the border regions of Afghanistan killed eight civilians, according to the Taliban.
A local resident in Barmal, named Maleel, told AFP that the strikes killed 18 members of one family. "The bombardment hit two or three houses, and in one house, 18 people were killed, the whole family lost their lives," he said. Maleel added that three people died in another house, and several others were injured and taken to a hospital.
Taliban officials confirmed that the victims were local residents and people who had fled Pakistan’s North Waziristan region, which borders Paktika. North Waziristan has long been a stronghold of militancy and has been targeted by both Pakistani military operations and U.S. drone strikes in the post-9/11 period.
The attack comes amid increasing violence linked to the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), who share an ideology with the Afghan Taliban. Last week, the TTP claimed responsibility for a raid on a Pakistani military post near the Afghan border, which Pakistani officials said killed 16 soldiers.
Pakistan has accused Afghanistan's Taliban government of harboring militants who carry out attacks on Pakistani soil. Kabul has denied the allegations and promised to expel foreign militant groups from Afghan territory. A UN Security Council report in July estimated that up to 6,500 TTP fighters are based in Afghanistan.
The escalation in attacks has worsened relations between Islamabad and Kabul, with security concerns contributing to Pakistan's decision to expel hundreds of thousands of Afghan migrants last year.
There has been no official response from Pakistani authorities regarding the latest airstrike in Afghan territory.
Earlier on Tuesday, high-level Taliban officials met with Pakistan's special envoy for Afghanistan, who was visiting Kabul.
Source: AFP