The Taliban government in Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of conducting a series of air strikes that resulted in the deaths of four civilians. According to Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, the military operations targeted the provinces of Kandahar, Paktia, and Khost. Mujahid condemned the actions as "reckless, careless, and hostile," warning that the strikes would lead to "adverse consequences" for the Pakistani military.

Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, defended the operations, describing them as "deliberate, precise, calibrated, and proportionate." He stated that the strikes were strictly aimed at "identified military objectives" connected to recent attacks against Pakistan. While Pakistan reported hitting 10 targets, it did not disclose specific locations.

The recent violence follows a deadly attack on a police facility in north-western Pakistan on September 18, which resulted in at least 31 deaths. That attack was claimed by a group associated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). While Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of providing sanctuary to the TTP, the Taliban government denies these allegations, maintaining that militancy is an internal Pakistani issue.

Advertisement

The border region has seen a resurgence of conflict after a brief period of relative calm. Earlier this week, Pakistan reported launching air strikes that it claimed killed 28 militants, though local Taliban officials and the UN mission in Afghanistan (Unama) reported civilian casualties in those incidents as well. Additionally, Pakistan claimed to have neutralized drones launched from Afghanistan on Wednesday, a charge the Taliban has denied.

Cross-border violence remains a persistent issue, with Unama reporting that hundreds of civilians have been killed or wounded in skirmishes between the two nations' forces over the past year. Despite previous attempts at mediation and a ceasefire agreement in March, a long-term resolution remains elusive.

Source: BBC News