Afghan authorities reported Wednesday that Pakistani forces conducted fresh airstrikes on their territory, resulting in the deaths of at least 13 individuals and injuring 14 more.
The strikes were announced by Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, who stated the attacks hit the Afghan provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika. According to Mujahid, the casualties included 11 children, one woman and one elderly man.
Pakistani officials have not yet confirmed or responded to reports of the strikes.
The two neighboring countries have been locked in months of violent cross-border conflict that has claimed hundreds of lives since late February, when Afghanistan conducted a retaliatory cross-border assault on Pakistan following Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan soil.
Pakistani authorities claim Afghanistan provides safe haven for militants who conduct fatal attacks within Pakistani borders, particularly the Pakistani Taliban, referred to as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. This organization operates independently from but maintains an alliance with the Afghan Taliban, which has controlled Afghanistan since taking power in 2021 during the tumultuous departure of U.S.-led forces. Afghan leadership rejects these accusations.
