Arabic version: الغارات الجوية الباكستانية في أفغانستان تؤدي إلى سقوط ضحايا مدنيين
Pakistan launched airstrikes and sent ground troops into Afghan provinces along its border on Sunday, killing dozens. According to BBC News, at least 36 civilians, including women and children, were killed, with more than 160 others reported injured. Afghanistan’s Taliban government condemned the attacks, labeling them a ‘cowardly act’ and ‘a crime and atrocity.’
Pakistan’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, stated that 29 militants were killed in the strikes, which were aimed at their hideouts. He claimed that the military action was a response to recent terrorist attacks against innocent people. The Taliban government, however, rejected Pakistan’s claims, asserting that the strikes targeted civilian homes rather than militant positions.
The situation between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been tense, with both governments accusing each other of harboring terrorists. Following a ceasefire agreement last October, relations have deteriorated, leading to renewed violence. The latest strikes occurred just a day after an attack in Karachi that killed three members of the Sindh Rangers, a Pakistani paramilitary force.
Casualties from the airstrikes were reported to be concentrated in Mandokhail, a village in Paktika province. Both the Pakistani and Taliban governments have provided differing accounts of the events, and the BBC has not independently verified the reported casualty figures. The conflict has seen intermittent border clashes and airstrikes, resulting in numerous deaths on both sides in recent months.
