KABUL – Airstrikes by Pakistani military aircraft in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province on Tuesday left at least 46 people dead, most of whom were women and children, the Afghan Taliban reported, warning of retaliation for what it called a “cowardly act.”
Deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said six others were injured in the strikes, which targeted four locations in the province. Afghanistan’s foreign office summoned Pakistan’s head of mission in Kabul on Wednesday to deliver a formal protest, condemning the attack as a violation of international principles and warning of consequences.
“This brutal act is an obvious act of aggression,” said Enayatullah Khowrazmi, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defence. “The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered.”
A Pakistani official, speaking anonymously, said the airstrikes targeted a camp of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an Islamist militant group responsible for a recent attack in South Waziristan that killed 16 Pakistani security personnel.
The Afghan defence ministry claimed the victims were “mostly Waziristani refugees” from Pakistan’s tribal areas, highlighting the complex cross-border tensions between the neighboring nations.
Tensions and History
Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan remain strained, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of harboring TTP militants who launch cross-border attacks – allegations the Afghan Taliban denies. In March, a similar Pakistani operation in Afghanistan reportedly killed women and children, further straining ties.
The TTP, though aligned with the Afghan Taliban in ideology, operates independently. Its stated goal is to impose Islamic law in Pakistan, mirroring the governance model implemented by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
While Pakistan did not immediately respond to the latest allegations, previous strikes were described as “intelligence-based anti-terrorist operations.” The airstrikes underscore ongoing tensions over militant activity and the volatile border region’s role as a flashpoint for violence.