Kabul: At least 15 people, including women and children, were killed in a series of Pakistani airstrikes on the Barmal district of Afghanistan’s Paktika province late Sunday, local sources reported. The death toll is expected to rise as search and recovery efforts continue in the affected areas.
The strikes targeted seven villages, with the most severe destruction reported in Murg Bazaar and Laman. According to Khaama Press, five members of a single family were killed in Laman. Witnesses claim Pakistani jets carried out the bombings, which destroyed significant infrastructure and exacerbated the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region.
In a statement, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence condemned the airstrikes, labeling them an attack on “Waziristani refugees” and vowing retaliation. “Defending our land and sovereignty is our legitimate right,” the ministry declared. Enayatullah Khwarazmi, a spokesperson for the ministry, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that several children and civilians were killed or injured in the attack.
Pakistani officials have not officially acknowledged the strikes, but sources close to the military suggested they were aimed at Taliban hideouts near the border. The strikes follow heightened tensions between the two nations over the presence of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), commonly referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, within Afghan territory.
The TTP, which has escalated attacks on Pakistani forces in recent months, is accused by Islamabad of using Afghan soil as a sanctuary. In response, the Afghan Taliban has consistently denied harboring TTP militants.
The victims of the airstrikes reportedly included Waziristani refugees who fled Pakistan’s tribal areas during past military operations. While Afghanistan asserts these individuals are civilians, Pakistan maintains that many TTP commanders and fighters have taken refuge in Afghanistan’s border provinces.
This incident marks a significant flashpoint in the already fraught relationship between the two countries. Civilian casualties and the destruction of villages are likely to intensify the humanitarian challenges facing the region and raise concerns about a broader escalation.
Further investigation is underway to verify the details of the attacks, as recovery operations continue in the affected areas. The international community has yet to respond to the strikes or address the mounting tension between the neighboring countries.
