Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan have reportedly killed at least 25 civilians according to Afghan officials, amid ongoing tensions between the two countries.
Afghan authorities have accused the Pakistani military of conducting airstrikes that killed 25 civilians in eastern Afghanistan, specifically targeting areas in Nangarhar province. The strikes occurred soon after Islamabad announced early Sunday that it was responding to attacks planned and executed by Afghan citizens inside Pakistan. These claims have heightened tensions, with the Afghan government strongly rejecting Pakistan's assertion that the strikes aimed at alleged Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan.
In addition to the fatalities reported by the local police, a government source indicated that earlier reports mentioned at least 17 civilians killed in the same retribution strikes, with additional casualties occurring in the eastern province of Paktia. The conflicting reports about the number of casualties reflect the ongoing challenges in verifying the situation amidst rising hostilities between Afghan and Pakistani forces, escalating fears of further conflict in the border regions.
Pakistan's information minister, Atteullah Tarar, confirmed the airstrikes targeting what he identified as seven strongholds of the Pakistani Taliban and the Islamic State's Khorasan branch at border areas near Afghanistan. He justified the military action as necessary due to recent attacks within Pakistan that were allegedly planned from Afghanistan, marking a period of increased military operations and tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border as both nations face security challenges.
