Pakistan airstrikes kill dozens, including women and children, in eastern Afghanistan, Mujahid says

Pakistan launched overnight airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, officials claiming dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed or wounded.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Taliban, said without providing exact figures that “dozens” of people, including women and children, were killed and injured in Pakistani airstrikes in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces overnight.

Writing on X, he alleged that the attacks were carried out by a “specific circle of Pakistani military officials” and that civilian residents were deliberately targeted in the bombardment.

Mujahid further claimed that Pakistani generals were attempting to compensate for internal security failures by launching cross-border strikes. Local sources had earlier reported explosions in parts of Nangarhar and Paktika.

However, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed it had conducted air operations targeting what it described as “terrorist-affiliated objectives” in eastern Afghanistan in response to recent attacks inside Pakistan.

In a statement issued late on February 21, the ministry said the strikes were a “retaliatory response” to a series of recent suicide bombings, including an attack on an imambargah in Islamabad and assaults in Bajaur and Bannu districts in the country’s northwest.

It added that members of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it referred to as “Fitna al-Khawarij,” affiliated groups, and Islamic State Khorasan had claimed responsibility.

According to Islamabad, seven camps and hideouts belonging to the TTP and Islamic State Khorasan were “precisely and selectively” targeted in border areas during the operation.

Local sources in eastern Afghanistan reported that Pakistani aircraft struck areas in Khogyani, Ghani Khil and Behsud districts of Nangarhar province. Minutes earlier, an attack on a religious madrassa in Barmal district of Paktika was also reported.

No independently verified casualty figures or detailed assessments of damage were immediately available at the time of publication.

Tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban authorities have escalated in recent months, with Pakistan accusing the Taliban of failing to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to stage attacks.

Pakistan has repeatedly urged the Taliban to uphold commitments under the 2020 Doha agreement to prevent Afghan soil from being used against other countries, a charge the Taliban deny.

Deadly border clashes late last year further strained relations, leading to temporary closures of key trade crossings and heightened diplomatic pressure between the two sides.

Pakistan has long accused the TTP of operating from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan, allegations consistently rejected by Taliban officials who insist they do not allow their territory to be used against any country.

The latest airstrikes underscore deepening mistrust between the two neighbors, raising concerns of further escalation along the volatile border if diplomatic efforts fail to ease tensions.

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