The Taliban government has accused Pakistan of conducting airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, killing 46 people, mostly women and children, on Tuesday night.
In a statement, the Taliban’s Ministry of National Defense said the airstrikes targeted the Barmal district near the Afghan-Pakistani border. It described the attack as a “violation of international principles and a clear act of aggression” and claimed that many of the victims were “Waziristani refugees.”
“The Pakistani side should understand that such arbitrary measures are not a solution to any problem,” Enayatullah Khowarazami, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry, wrote on X.
“The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered and considers the defense of its territory an inalienable right,” he added.
The Taliban’s warning came just hours after Pakistani security officials, speaking anonymously, confirmed airstrikes in the same region. They said the strikes targeted alleged hideouts of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, killing key commanders and destroying a training facility.
No official comment has been made by Pakistan’s military regarding the Taliban’s claims of civilian casualties.
Cross-Border Tensions
The airstrikes followed a deadly assault on a Pakistani security post in South Waziristan last week, which left 16 soldiers dead. Pakistani officials blamed the TTP for the attack.
While the Taliban denies providing refuge to armed groups or allowing their territory to be used for cross-border attacks, Pakistan asserts that the TTP conducts its operations from sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
The air raids, reportedly the second such operation this year, came just hours after Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, met interim Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul.
“Met Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi today. Held wide-ranging discussions. Agreed to work together to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and promote peace and progress in the region,” Sadiq posted on X.
Separate Attack in Jalalabad
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a vehicle belonging to the Indian Consulate in Jalalabad, eastern Afghanistan, was attacked on Tuesday evening.
According to Afghanistan’s Khaama Press, unidentified gunmen targeted an Afghan employee of the consulate in the city’s fourth district. Hamad, a spokesperson for Nangarhar’s police headquarters, confirmed that the injured employee, identified as Dawood Shirzad, works as a translator for the consulate.
Another source said that the attackers targeted a vehicle carrying Afghan consulate employees, killing the driver and injuring Shirzad. He has been transferred to Nangarhar Regional Hospital for treatment.
The Indian Embassy and its consulates in Afghanistan have been closed since August 2021, following the Taliban’s return to power. However, India resumed its diplomatic presence in June 2022 by deploying a technical team to its Kabul embassy to oversee humanitarian aid operations.