Pakistan Conducts Strikes in Afghanistan, Resulting in Dozens of Casualties

Pakistani Air Strikes Target Afghan Camps and Homes, Killing Dozens

The Afghan Ministry of Defence reported that air strikes carried out by Pakistan’s military in the border provinces of Nangarhar and Paktika have resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries. The strikes targeted “camps and hideouts” belonging to armed groups, according to the Pakistani Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

At least 17 people were killed in Nangarhar, with Afghan sources confirming that the attacks also hit a religious school and residential homes. The Afghan Ministry of Defence condemned the strikes as “a breach of international law and the principles of good neighbourliness”.

Pakistan’s military stated that it conducted “intelligence-based, selective operations” against seven camps and hideouts belonging to the Pakistan Taliban (TTP) and its affiliates. An affiliate of the Islamic State group was also targeted in the border region.

The Pakistani Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said it had “conclusive evidence” that recent attacks in Islamabad were perpetrated by fighters “on behest of their Afghanistan-based leadership and handlers”. The ministry reiterated its call for the international community to press the Taliban to uphold its commitments under the agreement signed with the United States in 2020.

The Afghan Ministry of Defence promised to respond to the attacks, stating that it would take a measured and appropriate response. Pakistan’s military has been accused of operating from inside Afghanistan by the TTP, which denies this claim.

Separately, two soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing attack on a security convoy in the Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. On Monday, another suicide bomber targeted a security post in Bajaur, killing 11 soldiers and a child.

Source: Al Jazeera