Afghanistan: Dozens Dead and Wounded Due to Pakistani Strikes

SadaNews - Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan have killed or injured dozens of civilians, according to Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid on Monday.

The Associated Press reported, citing officials, that Pakistani security forces carried out a ground operation based on intelligence information on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, followed by "targeted strikes" on militant hideouts, resulting in the death of 29 militants.

Mujahid stated in a post on X platform that the airstrikes targeted the provinces of Paktika, Paktia, and Kunar, denouncing the Pakistani military strikes as a "cowardly act of aggression."

On Monday morning, Pakistan announced that it had conducted nighttime airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan targeting militants in response to deadly attacks it had faced.

Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated in a press release that "three targets in Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar were destroyed in precise strikes," referring to three provinces located in eastern Afghanistan, adding that the airstrikes resulted in the death of 25 militants.

He noted that the attack also included ground operations in the border areas targeting the "Ahrar Group," which is sometimes linked to the "Pakistani Taliban."

Tarar added that the Pakistani nighttime operations came in response to an attack that resulted in the death of three members of the paramilitary forces in the southern city of Karachi on Saturday, in addition to recent violence in the border provinces.

For his part, Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated on Monday that the Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan resulted in the death or injury of dozens of civilians.

Mujahid condemned the Pakistani military strikes in a statement on X platform, describing them as a "cowardly act of aggression."

Pakistan has carried out a series of airstrikes on Afghanistan in recent months, the latest of which was earlier this month.

Islamabad accuses the Taliban government of harboring militants who are behind the escalation of attacks, particularly the "Pakistani Taliban," which has been waging a violent insurgency against Pakistan for years.

In contrast, Kabul denies using Afghan territory to harbor militants and insists that previous Pakistani airstrikes have resulted in civilian casualties.

The border between the two neighboring countries remains largely closed since the rise of violence in October, leading to a freeze in bilateral trade exchanges.