Pakistani Airstrikes in Eastern Afghanistan Kill Dozens; Kabul and Islamabad Trade Accusations
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\nDozens of people have been killed and wounded after Pakistani forces conducted a series of overnight airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, triggering a sharp escalation in border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
Afghan authorities and local sources reported that airstrikes on Sunday struck several districts in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, including residential areas and a religious school. Taliban officials said the strikes killed civilians, including women and children, with casualty estimates ranging from at least 17 to more than 20 dead. Taliban spokesman Quraishi Badloon said 17 civilians, including 11 children, were killed in Nangarhar alone, and several others were wounded.<\/p>\n
In response, Afghanistan\u2019s Ministry of Defense condemned the strikes as a violation of national sovereignty, international law, and \u201cneighborly principles,\u201d and warned of a \u201ccalculated and proportionate\u201d response at a suitable time. Kabul\u2019s foreign ministry also summoned Pakistan\u2019s envoy to protest the attacks, calling them a \u201cprovocative act.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pakistan\u2019s government defended the airstrikes as part of \u201cintelligence-based\u201d operations targeting camps and hideouts of fighters linked to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State \u2013 Khorasan Province (ISKP) along the border. Islamabad said the strikes were a \u201cretributive response\u201d to recent militant attacks inside Pakistan, including suicide bombings and assaults on security personnel, which Islamabad alleges were planned and staged from Afghan territory.<\/p>\n
The recent airstrikes represent one of the deadliest cross-border escalations since previous clashes and ceasefire efforts between the two neighbors. Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been tense for months, with mutual accusations over armed groups operating from each other\u2019s territory contributing to repeated border violence and diplomatic friction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pakistani Airstrikes in Eastern Afghanistan Kill Dozens; Kabul and Islamabad Trade Accusations ——————————– Dozens of people have been killed and wounded after Pakistani forces conducted a series of overnight airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, triggering a sharp escalation in border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Afghan authorities and local sources reported that airstrikes on Sunday struck …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-140310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-afghanistan"],"yoast_head":"\n