- Zabihullah Mujahid condemn attack, claiming it killed 46 civilians, including women and children
- Reaffirms Taliban govt would not leave such actions unaddressed
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan airstrikes targeted four locations, said to be camps of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province, killing and wounding several suspected terrorists, security officials said.
According to the security sources, these TTP camps in the Murgha and Laman areas of Bernal district were targeted, including one that was used by Sher Zaman alias Mukhlis Yar, Commander Abu Hamza, Commander Akhtar Muhammad and the head of TTP’s media arm, Umar Media.
In a post on X by the Afghan defence ministry, the Afghan Taliban regime confirmed reports of the strike carried out by Pakistani forces, but claimed that the dead and injured included a number of children and other civilians.
Taliban’s spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, on Wednesday claimed that Pakistan airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province killed at least 46 people, including women and children.
Mujahid condemned the attack, describing it as “clear aggression,” and reaffirmed that the Taliban government would not leave such actions unaddressed.
The Afghan defence ministry issued a statement condemning the airstrikes, stating that the Islamic Emirate would defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
This follows a series of deadly cross-border exchanges between Pakistan and Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021. Tensions have escalated, particularly in the border regions, where Pakistan has been battling a surge in militant violence.
According to a resident of Barmal, Maleel, the airstrikes devastated several homes, with one bombing killing 18 members of a single family. Another strike reportedly killed three people and left several others wounded, who were subsequently hospitalized.
The Pakistani military has not officially commented on the attack, but the strike follows heightened tensions after the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which shares a similar ideology with the Afghan Taliban, claimed responsibility for an attack on a Pakistani army outpost last week as Pakistani intelligence officials reported that 16 soldiers were martyred in the assault.
Despite the ongoing border conflicts, both Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed earlier this week to ease tensions and strengthen bilateral relations, with Pakistan’s Special Representative, Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq, visiting Kabul for meetings with Afghan officials and traders.
