Taliban Says Pakistani Airstrikes Kill 10 Civilians in Afghanistan After Peshawar Attack

Taliban Says Pakistani Airstrikes Kill 10 Civilians in Afghanistan After Peshawar Attack
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Pakistan’s cross-border strikes on Afghan territory have killed 10 civilians, including nine children, The Guardian reported. A spokesperson for the Taliban government, Zabihullah Mujahid, said on X that Pakistani forces bombed a home belonging to a local resident in Khost province, resulting in the deaths of five boys, four girls, and one woman. Additional airstrikes in the border regions of Kunar and Paktika reportedly injured four more civilians.

Pakistani authorities have not commented on the alleged raids. The bombardment came a day after a suicide attack targeted the headquarters of Pakistan’s paramilitary Federal Constabulary in Peshawar, killing three officers and injuring 11 others. While no group has claimed responsibility, Pakistani officials suggested the attackers were Afghan nationals.

President Asif Zardari blamed the assault on “foreign-backed Fitna al-Khawarij,” Islamabad’s term for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants it says operate from Afghan soil. Earlier this month, another suicide bombing in Islamabad killed 12 people and was claimed by a TTP-linked faction. Pakistani authorities accused a militant cell directed “at every step” by leadership based in Afghanistan.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Tensions intensified after deadly border clashes in October that left around 70 people dead on both sides. A ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey halted the violence, but subsequent talks failed to resolve key issues, including Pakistan’s demand that Kabul restrain TTP fighters. Kabul denies sheltering the group and accuses Islamabad of undermining Afghan sovereignty.