Afghanistan Reports Pakistani Air Strikes Kill at Least 13 People, Mostly Children
Afghanistan's Taliban government accused Pakistan's military of conducting air strikes on border provinces that killed at least 13 people, including 11 children, on Tuesday. The strikes mark the deadliest cross-border violence in weeks and follow a pattern of escalating tensions since a ceasefire collapsed in March. The incident underscores the fragile security situation along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where both nations accuse each other of harboring militant groups.
Afghanistan's Taliban government reported that Pakistani military air strikes on the provinces of Kunar, Khost, and Paktika killed at least 13 people, with Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stating the victims included 11 children, one woman, and an elderly man. An official in Khost province confirmed a strike on a house in Spera district killed nine people and wounded 10, while residents reported a separate attack in Paktika's Barmal district killed three civilians, described as children. Pakistan has not immediately commented on the strikes but has previously justified such operations as targeting fighters from the Pakistan Taliban (TTP). The air raids came one day after suspected TTP fighters attacked a Pakistani security post, killing six members of a federal paramilitary force. Relations between the two countries have deteriorated significantly since the Taliban's 2021 return to power, with a fragile ceasefire agreed in March collapsing after mutual accusations of violations. The UN reported in May that cross-border fighting had killed at least 372 Afghan civilians and injured 397 others in the first three months of 2026.
What's missing
Pakistan's official response to the specific allegations and casualty figures is absent, as the article notes 'no immediate comment' from Islamabad. Additionally, independent verification of the casualty counts from international observers or humanitarian organizations is not provided.
What different sources said
- Al JazeeraLeft
Afghanistan says Pakistan air raids killed 13 people, including children
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