Pakistan confirmed carrying out airstrikes inside eastern Afghanistan, saying 26 militants were killed, while Kabul reported 13 civilian deaths, including women and children.
Pakistan on Wednesday confirmed conducting airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, claiming that 26 members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed in what it described as intelligence-based operations targeting militant infrastructure near the border.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes were launched in response to a series of recent attacks inside Pakistan, including assaults on security forces in North Waziristan, Bannu and Musa Dara. He said the operation targeted four locations, including a training center, a hideout, an ammunition depot and facilities linked to two TTP commanders.
The confirmation came hours after Taliban authorities accused Pakistan of bombing areas in the eastern provinces of Kunar, Khost and Paktika. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said at least 13 civilians, including 11 children, one woman and one elderly man, were killed and 14 others wounded in the attacks.
Pakistan did not directly respond to the Taliban’s claims regarding civilian casualties. Taliban officials condemned the strikes as a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and accused Pakistan of targeting residential areas.
The latest escalation highlights growing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul administration. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghan-based militants of launching attacks across the border, while Taliban authorities reject the allegations and insist Afghanistan territory is not being used against other countries.
The strikes come amid renewed regional security concerns and continued efforts by both sides to address border-related disputes through diplomatic channels. Recent meetings, including talks held in China’s Urumqi, have so far failed to resolve disagreements over militant activity and cross-border security.
According to a recent report by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, violence and border tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan resulted in 764 civilian casualties between late January and the end of March, including 372 deaths and 392 injuries.
The latest UN report on Afghanistan also documented a sharp rise in security incidents across the country, recording 3,687 security-related events between February and April, a 57.7% increase compared with the same period last year. The report warned that continued cross-border hostilities risk worsening humanitarian conditions and regional instability.
