Pakistani airstrikes on eastern Afghanistan have killed at least 46 people, mostly women and children, according to the Taliban government. The strikes targeted four locations in Barmal district of Paktika province.
The Afghan government said those killed were refugees who fled to Afghanistan due to Pakistan’s military operation in the northwest. Six others were wounded.
Pakistani security officials had previously claimed that the operation was aimed at dismantling a training facility and killing insurgents. However, Mohammad Khurasani, spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, disputed this, saying 50 people, including 27 women and children, died in the strikes.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Pakistani envoy and lodged a strong protest over the strikes, calling them “irresponsible actions” that would have consequences. Pakistan has not commented on the latest strikes.
Security analysts say the Taliban Defense Ministry’s promise of retaliation may prompt further escalation. The situation along the shared border seems to be business as usual, but tensions remain high after recent attacks by the Pakistani Taliban.
Pakistan has seen an uptick in militant attacks in recent months and has accused the Afghan Taliban of not doing enough to combat militant activity across the border.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-afghanistan-militant-camp-air-strikes-1eb6ebd92403795d03856b1b97cac0da