Pakistani Airstrikes Kill 15 in Afghanistan, Taliban Threatens Retaliation
At least 15 people, including women and children, lost their lives in a series of airstrikes reportedly carried out by Pakistani jets on the night of December 24 in Afghanistan’s Barmal district, Paktika province. Among the affected areas was the village of Laman, where five members of a single family were killed. Local sources indicate that the bombings destroyed several villages, including Murg Bazaar, leaving a trail of devastation and exacerbating the region’s humanitarian crisis.
While Pakistani officials have not formally acknowledged the airstrikes, military-linked security sources suggested that the operation targeted suspected Taliban hideouts near the border. These developments come amidst escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over militant activities along the shared frontier.
Taliban Vows Retaliation
The Taliban’s Ministry of Defence condemned the airstrikes and pledged to respond, asserting their right to defend Afghan sovereignty. A ministry spokesperson alleged that the attacks targeted “Waziristani refugees,” many of whom are civilians displaced by prior military operations in Pakistan’s tribal areas.
Enayatullah Khwarazmi, a Taliban defence spokesperson, posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that civilians, including several children, were among the casualties. He described the incident as an unjust attack on innocent lives.
Cross-Border Tensions Intensify
The airstrikes mark another flashpoint in the already fraught relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering members of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group responsible for an uptick in attacks on Pakistani forces. The Afghan Taliban has consistently denied harboring TTP fighters, though Pakistani officials allege that the group operates freely in Afghan border provinces.
The Taliban’s refusal to cooperate on this issue has deepened mistrust between the two nations. Pakistan maintains that Afghan provinces like Paktika have become safe havens for TTP commanders and their fighters, leading to military actions such as the recent airstrikes.
Rising Civilian Toll
The strikes have drawn attention to the plight of Waziristani refugees who fled Pakistan’s military campaigns years ago, only to face violence in their host country. Initial reports from the affected areas suggest that the death toll could climb as recovery efforts continue.
While the situation remains volatile, the airstrikes underline the fragile state of regional security and the growing complexity of cross-border insurgency and military responses.
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