Afghanistan’s interim government has strongly condemned suspected Pakistani drone strikes in the country’s eastern provinces of Khost and Nangarhar, summoning Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul to lodge a formal protest.
According to Afghan officials, the strikes took place late Wednesday night, targeting residential areas in Khost’s Spira district and Nangarhar’s Shinwari district. Local authorities confirmed civilian casualties, including women and children.
Khost governor’s spokesperson, Mustaghfir Labrez, said that at around 10:30 p.m., a drone strike hit the home of Haji Naeem Gul, a local businessman in the Surkakh area. “Three children were killed and five others injured, including women and children,” he said, adding that the family had no links to any armed groups.
In Nangarhar, provincial officials reported two separate strikes in Shinwari district, injuring four children and a woman from the same family. They also stressed that the victims were civilians with no militant connections.
Afghan journalists and locals said drones had been observed flying over the provinces for months. Residents reported hearing multiple blasts overnight.
Following the incident, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Pakistani ambassador in Kabul, handing him a protest note. In a statement, the ministry described the strikes as a “clear and unacceptable violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty” and warned that such actions would have “serious consequences.”
“These attacks are not only against Afghanistan’s sovereignty but are also provocative acts that escalate tensions in the region,” the ministry said, vowing to protect Afghan citizens and territory “at any cost.”
So far, Islamabad has not issued an official statement. However, some Pakistani journalists and social media accounts linked to military sources claimed that the strikes targeted alleged hideouts of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban of harboring TTP fighters who stage cross-border attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has consistently rejected these allegations.
Cross-border air operations are not unprecedented. On April 16, 2022, Pakistani jets and drones hit residential areas in Khost and Kunar, killing at least 47 civilians, according to Afghan officials. On December 25, 2023, airstrikes in Paktika’s Bermal district killed 46 people, mostly women and children, according to Taliban authorities, though Pakistan claimed 45 TTP members were killed. More recently, on March 18, 2024, at least eight civilians died in Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, according to local reports.
The latest strikes appear to follow the same pattern, with Islamabad asserting it is targeting militants while Afghan officials insist civilians are bearing the brunt.
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have remained tense, particularly over the TTP issue. Afghan authorities say continued cross-border attacks risk further destabilizing the region.