Afghanistan Accuses Pakistan of Cross-Border Airstrikes Killing Civilians

(MENAFN) Afghan authorities have accused Pakistan of conducting fresh airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan that reportedly resulted in the deaths of 13 civilians, including children, amid already strained relations between the two countries.

According to reports, Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated in a message on the social media platform X that Pakistani military aircraft entered Afghan airspace overnight and struck residential areas in the eastern provinces of Kunar, Khost, and Paktika.

He said the attacks killed 11 children, along with one woman and one elderly man, while an additional 14 women and children were injured.

"We strongly condemn this humanitarian crime and act of aggression," Mujahid said in the statement.

Pakistani officials had not issued an immediate response to the allegations at the time of reporting.

The claims come as diplomatic and security tensions between Kabul and Islamabad continue over cross-border militancy and security concerns along their shared frontier.

Earlier, tensions intensified in February when Pakistan announced it had carried out operations in eastern Afghanistan targeting what it described as hideouts of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a network of militant groups blamed for attacks inside Pakistan.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghan authorities of allowing TTP fighters to operate from Afghan territory, allegations that Kabul has consistently rejected.

The two sides also experienced severe border clashes in March, with reports of heavy casualties among civilians, security personnel, and militants on both sides of the border.

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