Pakistan Bombards Afghanistan Again, 13 Reported Dead

The Pakistani military has once again launched deadly air strikes in neighbouring Afghanistan. Afghan government officials said the strikes killed at least 13 people. This is the deadliest attack in recent weeks and comes after a period of relative calm. “Last night, the Pakistani military again violated Afghan airspace and bombarded civilian homes in Kunar, Khost, and Paktika provinces,” wrote the chief spokesman for the Taliban administration in Afghanistan, Zabihullah Mujahid, on social media platform X. “As a result of this attack, 11 children, one woman, and one elderly man were killed,” he added. Meanwhile, the Pakistani government said its air strikes had killed 26 militants in the Afghan border area. “Following recent terrorist incidents in Pakistan… precise and measured strikes were carried out along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region against hideouts and safe havens,” wrote Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on X. He added that 26 militants linked to the militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) died in the strikes. He did not comment on the civilian casualties reported by the Afghan authorities. Islamabad has repeatedly stated that strikes on Afghanistan target militants who have carried out attacks on its territory. Islamabad also maintains it does not intentionally target civilians. The strike was the most lethal in several weeks and occurred after a period of relative border calm following a conflict between the two nations that erupted at the end of February. The escalation led to intense fighting along the frontier and unprecedented Pakistani air strikes on Afghan cities—including the capital, Kabul, and the city of Kandahar, where the Taliban’s supreme leader is based. At least 372 Afghan civilians have been killed and 397 others wounded in the conflict during the first three months of this year, according to a UN report published last month. Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained since the Taliban returned to power for the second time in 2021. Security has proven to be a major point of contention, particularly Pakistan’s demand that Afghanistan crack down on the TTP militant group. Islamabad accuses the Taliban government of sheltering the militants, who have waged a years-long violent campaign against Pakistan. Afghan officials deny these allegations and, in turn, accuse Pakistan of harbouring hostile groups and disrespecting its sovereignty.