Key facts
- Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan killed 36 civilians and wounded 163.
- Pakistan stated the strikes targeted terrorist hideouts responsible for a recent attack in Karachi.
- Afghan authorities deny harboring militants and condemned the strikes.
- The U.S. State Department supports Pakistan's right to self-defense against terrorist attacks.
- A recent militant attack in Karachi killed three Pakistani security personnel.
Pakistani airstrikes in three eastern provinces of Afghanistan killed 36 civilians and wounded 163, according to Afghan officials, as tensions between the two nations escalate. Pakistan's information minister, Attaullah Tarar, stated the operations were intelligence-based and targeted a terrorist group his country blames for a deadly militant attack in Karachi over the weekend. Afghan authorities, however, have repeatedly denied harboring militants and condemned the strikes as a "cowardly act of aggression," with a Taliban spokesperson detailing civilian casualties from strikes on homes.
The Pakistani Taliban (TTP), a separate group from the Afghan Taliban but allied with them, and its breakaway faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, are blamed by Pakistan for a surge in militant attacks. Despite a ceasefire agreed upon in March, sporadic incidents continue, including Pakistani strikes in June that killed 13 people. Pakistan asserts its domestic security concerns necessitate cross-border operations, while Afghan officials report significant civilian death tolls from such actions.
The U.S. State Department has affirmed its support for Pakistan's right to self-defense against terrorist attacks. Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained since the Taliban took power in 2021, with fierce fighting along the border and Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan cities. Mediation efforts by countries like China and Saudi Arabia have thus far failed to yield a lasting resolution.