In a devastating attack, Pakistan’s military air strikes in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province have left 46 people dead, including many women and children, according to a Taliban spokesperson. The air raids, which took place in the Barmal district on Tuesday night, have drawn sharp condemnation from the Taliban government, which has labeled the strikes as “barbaric” and “clear aggression.”
The Attack and Its Aftermath
The deadly air strikes targeted four points in Barmal district, killing 46 people, as confirmed by Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban government. Among the victims, most were women and children, with six others injured, the majority of them also being children. A Barmal resident, Maleel, shared the harrowing details, revealing that 18 members of one family were killed when their home was hit. The strikes also led to casualties in another household, with three people killed and several others wounded.
Taliban Responds to Pakistan’s Air Strikes
In a late-night statement, the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense condemned the air strikes, emphasizing that they considered the attack as a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty. The statement described the strikes as “cowardly,” and insisted that the Taliban government would not tolerate such acts, vowing to respond. The ministry reaffirmed the “inalienable right” of the Islamic Emirate to defend its territory and sovereignty.
Escalating Tensions Between Afghanistan and Pakistan
This latest escalation in border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan follows a history of violent exchanges and mounting distrust. Pakistan has long accused the Taliban of harboring militants, particularly those from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who share an ideological alignment with the Afghan Taliban and have launched attacks on Pakistani soil. Kabul has consistently denied these accusations.
The air strikes in Paktika come after the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack on a Pakistani military outpost near the Afghanistan border, killing 16 soldiers. The attack in Barmal district adds to the growing tension in the region, which has worsened since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021.
The Pakistani government has yet to comment on the latest air strikes, even as high-level Taliban officials were meeting with Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan earlier on Tuesday.
Border Tensions Persist
With both sides facing increasing challenges on their borders, these air strikes highlight the volatile nature of relations between Pakistan and the Taliban-led Afghanistan. Pakistan’s military operations against militants in its western border regions have been met with resistance, while the Taliban’s accusations of Pakistan harboring militants on Afghan soil add fuel to the ongoing diplomatic friction.
As the region grapples with these tensions, the future of Afghanistan-Pakistan relations remains uncertain, with both governments accusing each other of enabling violence and instability.
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