Key facts
- Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan's eastern provinces of Khost, Kunar, and Paktika.
- Islamabad claims 26 militants were killed, targeting hideouts linked to recent attacks.
- Kabul reports 13 civilians, including 11 children, were killed and 14 wounded.
- Afghanistan summoned Pakistan's chargé d'affaires to protest the violation of its airspace.
- The strikes ended a month of calm and followed a recent attack in Pakistan.
Pakistan launched deadly air strikes on Afghanistan early Wednesday, targeting militant hideouts and infrastructure, ending a month of calm and reigniting border tensions. Kabul reported 13 civilians, including 11 children, were killed and 14 wounded in the eastern provinces of Khost, Kunar, and Paktika.
Islamabad confirmed the strikes, stating that 26 militants were killed and dismissing reports of civilian casualties as propaganda. Pakistan's information minister, Attaullah Tarar, said the targets were hideouts and safe havens of masterminds behind recent attacks in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, vowing to continue its counter-terrorism campaign.
The strikes followed a Tuesday attack by suspected Pakistani Taliban militants on a security post in Pakistan, which killed six members of the Federal Constabulary. Afghanistan's foreign ministry summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires to protest the "violation of Afghan airspace and the bombing of the homes of innocent civilians."
Hundreds have been killed in fighting between the two nations since February, with several rounds of peace talks failing to yield a lasting truce. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants, particularly the TTP, which Kabul denies. In March, Afghanistan claimed a Pakistani airstrike hit a drug treatment center, killing over 400 people, a toll Pakistan disputed.