At least three people were killed in Pakistani airstrikes on northeastern Afghanistan on Monday, Afghan officials said, threatening to reignite tensions between the neighbours after nearly three months of relative calm.
The airstrikes on Monday came days after a police facility in northwest Pakistan was attacked, killing at least 16 people. The worst single incident occurred in March, when more than 400 people were killed in a Pakistani airstrike on Kabul, which the Afghan Taliban said targeted a drug rehabilitation centre. Pakistan has a large air force, with 422 combat aircraft and more than 260 helicopters, according to data from the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. Afghanistan has no fighter jets but is known to possess at least six aircraft and 23 helicopters, and drones that have previously been used in fighting with Pakistan.
Afghanistan had launched drones against Pakistan in July, which Islamabad had said its forces had intercepted and shot down.
Islamabad denied the charge, saying it “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure”. Relations between the former allies have remained strained since February, when the two sides fought their worst clashes in years. Pakistan’s military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Airstrikes in Kunar and Paktika Provinces Result in Casualties and Damage
Recent airstrikes in Kunar province have resulted in the deaths of three family members and left four others injured, according to Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat’s post on X. The strikes specifically targeted residential areas, indicating a significant impact on local civilians.
In a separate incident in Barmal District of Paktika province, two sites were bombarded, damaging one shop and an unoccupied house. Fortunately, no casualties were reported from this attack, highlighting a contrast in the severity of the two incidents.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government denies the charges and says militancy is Pakistan’s internal problem. The dispute centres on militancy in Pakistan, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of harbouring militants who stage cross-border attacks from Afghan territory.
