Pakistan denies Afghanistan’s claims of airstrikes killing 10 people, mostly children

Afghanistan’s Taliban government accused Pakistan on Tuesday of conducting deadly airstrikes in three eastern Afghan provinces, a claim swiftly denied by Pakistani military officials as tensions continue to simmer between the neighboring countries.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistan had bombed a civilian home in Khost province, killing nine children and a woman. He also alleged additional strikes hit Kunar and Paktika provinces, wounding four people.

Mujahid condemned what he called “atrocities” and “a violation of Afghan territory,” warning that Afghanistan would “give the necessary response” at an appropriate time.

Hours later, Pakistani military spokesperson Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry flatly rejected these accusations. “Pakistan does not target and kill civilians,” Chaudhry said during a news briefing in Rawalpindi. He added that Pakistan openly acknowledges military operations when they occur, referring to strikes in October that targeted Pakistani Taliban hideouts.

Local residents in Khost were seen combing through rubble at the site of the reported attack. Muhammad Iqbal, who claimed the victims were his cousin’s family, described the scene as evidence of “cruelty.” Tribal leader Mer Adam Khan reported that the attack came from a drone flying over the area around midnight, though he couldn’t identify its origin.

This latest flare-up occurs against a backdrop of deteriorating relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Cross-border hostilities erupted in October when Afghanistan accused Pakistan of launching drone strikes on Kabul. The ensuing clashes reportedly killed dozens before Qatar and Turkey helped broker a ceasefire on October 19.

The tensions have significant regional implications. Iran has recently stepped into a mediator role, with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, meeting with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad on Tuesday.

Pakistan faces ongoing security challenges within its borders. On Monday, three officers were killed and 11 wounded when two suicide bombers and a gunman attacked the Federal Constabulary headquarters in Peshawar. Though no group claimed responsibility, suspicion fell on the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). Chaudhry claimed the three attackers were Afghan nationals who crossed into Pakistan from the northwestern border region.

The Pakistani military also announced Tuesday that security forces had killed 22 militants during a raid on what it described as a hideout of “Indian-backed” fighters in Bannu, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border.

Pakistan has repeatedly urged Afghanistan’s Taliban government to prevent TTP militants from using Afghan territory to launch attacks. The Pakistani military reports killing 1,873 militants in operations since January, highlighting the scale of its counterterrorism campaign.

“Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,” the military stated.

Peace efforts have stalled, with Pakistan claiming Afghanistan refused to provide written guarantees that TTP fighters would not operate from Afghan soil during recent talks in Istanbul. The Afghan government maintains it does not allow its territory to be used for attacks against any country.

The ongoing dispute has paralyzed bilateral trade, with all border crossings between the two countries closed since early October. The closure has also prevented residents on both sides from crossing the border to visit relatives and friends.

The diplomatic stalemate reflects the complex regional dynamics in South Asia, where historical tensions, security concerns, and accusations of harboring militant groups continue to complicate relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, even under the Taliban government that took power in Kabul in 2021.