THE APEX TIMES
Taliban officials say Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan killed at least 13, including 11 children
Pakistan says it struck militant targets with “precise and calibrated” strikes, reporting 26 militants killed. Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers disputed the casualties and described civilian deaths.
Pakistan carried out airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, a fresh escalation in fighting between the neighbors, according to statements from both sides. The Afghan Taliban rulers said the strikes hit the eastern provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika and killed at least 13 people, including 11 children, one woman and an elderly man, with 14 other civilians reported wounded.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told CBS News that the casualties included children and that additional civilians were injured. The Taliban said the attacks shattered more than a month of relative calm between the two sides.
Pakistan confirmed it carried out strikes and said they were “precise and calibrated,” targeting militant hideouts and infrastructure connected to recent attacks inside Pakistan. Pakistani officials said 26 militants were killed, describing the operation as directed along border areas where the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, and other insurgents operate.
In a statement posted on X, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said four targets were destroyed during the operation, including a training center and other sites described as belonging to “masterminds and planners” of attacks carried out in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region bordering Afghanistan. He said the strikes were intended to disrupt terrorist planning and safe havens.
The airstrikes come amid renewed cross-border tension that has persisted since late February, when Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan, according to reporting by the Associated Press. Since then, the cycle of fighting has included multiple rounds of internationally mediated talks that have so far failed to produce a lasting truce.
Both countries accuse each other of providing refuge to militants. Pakistan has said Afghanistan harbors groups linked to attacks in Pakistan, including the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, which Pakistan says is distinct from the Afghan Taliban but allied with it. The Taliban government denies these charges, according to the Associated Press account.
On the ground, the competing casualty figures and characterizations of targets underscore a persistent dispute over whether strikes are aimed strictly at combatants or also affect civilians. With no independent verification included in the reporting, officials on both sides are presenting their own narratives of deaths and damage, while communities in the affected Afghan provinces face the immediate effects of renewed hostilities.
Why It Matters
- The renewed strikes risk widening the border conflict during a period described by Afghanistan as one of brief calm, raising the likelihood of further civilian harm in Khost, Kunar and Paktika.
- The dispute over casualty numbers, including whether children were among the dead, heightens scrutiny over targeting standards and the humanitarian impact of cross-border air operations.
- With both sides citing militant hideouts and terrorist planning, the incident is likely to further strain efforts to negotiate or sustain temporary cease-fires.
- The fighting ties into broader security concerns involving the Pakistani Taliban and its links to militant networks operating across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
- The escalation adds to government and international mediation pressure to address cross-border attacks, verify claims, and reduce the risk of further retaliatory strikes.
Key Facts
- Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika, according to statements from Taliban officials and Pakistani representatives.
- Afghanistan’s Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said at least 13 people were killed, including 11 children, one woman and an elderly man, with 14 other civilians wounded.
- Pakistan said the strikes were “precise and calibrated” and reported that 26 militants were killed.
- Pakistan’s information minister Attaullah Tarar said the operation targeted militant hideouts and infrastructure linked to attacks inside Pakistan and described four targets destroyed, including a training center.
- Pakistan and Afghanistan have been engaged in deadly cross-border fighting since late February, when Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack in retaliation for earlier Pakistani strikes.
- Several rounds of internationally mediated peace talks have failed to produce a lasting truce, according to reporting cited by CBS News and the Associated Press.