Key facts
- At least three people were killed and several more injured in a Pakistani airstrike in Afghanistan's Kunar province, Tolo News reported.
- Three Afghan cricketers were killed in a Pakistani airstrike in Paktika province, according to the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
- The ACB identified the victims as Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon.
- The ACB stated the players were targeted during a gathering after returning home.
- The ACB withdrew from an upcoming tri-nation series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
- Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed 13 civilians were killed in attacks across Khost, Kunar and Paktika provinces, including 11 children.
At least three people were killed and several more injured in a Pakistani airstrike on Afghanistan's northeastern province of Kunar, Tolo News reported on Monday, citing a provincial official. The incident, which comes two days after a police facility in northwest Pakistan was attacked, threatens to reignite fighting between the neighbors.
According to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), at least three Afghan cricketers were killed in a Pakistani airstrike in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province. The ACB identified the players by single names as Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon, stating they had traveled from Urgun to Sharana, near the Pakistan border, to participate in a friendly match. The board said they were targeted during a gathering after returning home, describing it as "a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime."
Following the strike, the ACB announced its withdrawal from a tri-nation series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka next month as a gesture of respect to the victims. Afghanistan's T20 captain Rashid Khan condemned the strike on X, calling it a "barbaric" assault on civilians and a "grave violation of human rights."
Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that at least 13 civilians were killed in the attacks across Khost, Kunar, and Paktika provinces, including 11 children, one woman, and one elderly man. He described the strikes as a "humanitarian crime and act of aggression."
A local official in Khost told AFP that an air strike hit a house in the Spera district, killing nine people and injuring 10 others. In neighboring Paktika province, residents reported another strike in Barmal district killed three civilians, targeting a home and its occupants who were children.
Pakistan has not immediately confirmed or responded to the reported military action. The reported strikes occurred a day after India criticized Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council over similar air strikes in Afghanistan that allegedly resulted in large-scale civilian casualties.