Ten civilians, including nine children, were killed in Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghanistan’s Khost province, a spokesperson for the Taliban government said on Tuesday. According to Zabihullah Mujahid, the strikes hit the home of a local resident, killing five boys, four girls, and one woman. He also reported that additional airstrikes in Kunar and Paktika provinces injured four civilians.
Pakistani officials have not commented on the incident. The bombardment came a day after a suicide attack on a paramilitary security compound in Peshawar, where three officers were killed and 11 others wounded. State media in Pakistan reported that the attackers were Afghan nationals, and President Asif Zardari blamed what he called foreign-backed militants, a reference to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Another recent suicide attack in Islamabad that killed 12 people was claimed by a Pakistan Taliban faction. Islamabad has accused TTP elements of operating from Afghan territory, while Afghan authorities deny providing support and accuse Pakistan of violating Afghan sovereignty.
Relations between the two neighbours have deteriorated since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, with previous border clashes and failed talks underscoring ongoing security tensions.
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