Kabul: Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government on Wednesday accused Pakistan of carrying out fresh airstrikes inside Afghan territory, claiming the attacks killed at least 13 people, including 11 children, and injured 14 others.
Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes targeted the eastern provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika. According to Afghan authorities, those killed included 11 children, one woman and one elderly man.
Pakistan had not officially commented on the allegations at the time of reporting.
The latest strikes come amid escalating tensions between the two neighbouring countries, which have been locked in a cycle of cross-border violence since late February. The conflict intensified after Afghanistan allegedly launched attacks inside Pakistan in response to earlier Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of providing safe haven to militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, particularly members of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP is a separate militant organisation but maintains close ideological and operational ties with the Afghan Taliban.
Pakistan has long maintained that TTP fighters use Afghan soil to plan and launch attacks against Pakistani security forces and civilians. The Taliban government in Kabul has consistently denied these allegations, insisting that it does not allow Afghan territory to be used against any country.
The reported airstrikes mark another escalation in the deteriorating security situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, raising concerns about further instability in the region. The latest incident is likely to deepen tensions between the two governments at a time when diplomatic efforts to ease hostilities have shown little progress.
