Afghanistan Accuses Pakistan of Fresh Airstrikes, 13 Killed Amid Escalating Border Tensions
Taliban claims women and children among victims; Islamabad yet to respond as cross-border conflict intensifies
KABUL, Jun 10: Afghanistan on Wednesday accused Pakistan of carrying out fresh airstrikes on its territory, killing at least 13 people, including 11 children, and injuring 14 others, in the latest escalation of tensions between the neighbouring countries.
Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes targeted the eastern Afghan provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika. According to him, those killed included 11 children, one woman and an elderly man.
There was no immediate response from Pakistan regarding the alleged strikes.
The latest incident comes amid months of escalating cross-border hostilities that have left hundreds dead and further strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul.
The reported airstrikes occurred a day after suspected Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants attacked a security post in the Hasan Khel area of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. The attack triggered a fierce gunbattle in which six personnel of the Federal Constabulary were killed and several others sustained injuries, according to Pakistan’s Interior Ministry.
Local authorities said security forces killed eight attackers and successfully repelled an attempt to overrun the checkpoint. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi later attended funeral prayers for the slain personnel in Peshawar and paid tribute to their sacrifices.
Expressing condolences to the bereaved families, Naqvi said the nation remained united in its fight against militancy and vowed to intensify operations against groups threatening peace and security.
Relations between the two countries have remained tense since late February, when Afghanistan reportedly launched a cross-border attack in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghan territory. Pakistan subsequently declared that it was in an “open war” with Afghanistan following a surge in militant attacks targeting civilians and security forces within its borders.
Earlier this year, Afghanistan alleged that Pakistani airstrikes hit a drug-treatment centre in Kabul, claiming that more than 400 people were killed. The reported casualty figures, however, could not be independently verified. Pakistan rejected the allegation, maintaining that its forces had targeted an ammunition depot and not civilian infrastructure.
The latest escalation comes despite diplomatic efforts led by China to ease tensions. Beijing had hosted talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Urumqi and later announced that both sides had agreed to avoid further escalation and explore avenues for resolving their differences.
Pakistan has consistently accused Afghanistan of providing safe haven to militants, particularly the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad blames for a series of deadly attacks across the country. While the TTP is separate from the Afghan Taliban, the two groups are considered ideological allies. The Taliban administration in Kabul has repeatedly denied Pakistan’s allegations.
The fresh accusations of airstrikes are likely to further complicate efforts to stabilise relations between the two neighbours as security concerns continue to dominate the region.
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