Pakistan air strikes on Afghanistan have drawn conflicting accounts from the two governments. The Taliban government said nine civilians were killed and 11 others injured. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes hit homes in Kunar and Helmand and that women and children were among the dead. Islamabad's information ministry confirmed the strikes and said 22 militants were killed.
What each side says
Zabihullah Mujahid, chief spokesman of the Afghan Taliban, condemned the strikes in a post on X. "We condemn this act as an aggression and crime in violation of all accepted principles," he said. He said the bombs struck homes in Kunar and Helmand, provinces bordering Pakistan.
Pakistan described another target. The information ministry said the "well-planned and calibrated" attack targeted "terrorist camps" in Afghanistan, where large quantities of weapons and ammunition were stored. It said maximum precautions were taken to ensure no collateral damage occurred.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of harbouring militant groups that carry out and plan attacks from inside Afghanistan. The Taliban deny this and say militancy in Pakistan is an internal problem. The dispute has badly strained relations between the two neighbours. These latest Pakistan air strikes on Afghanistan follow fighting that continued after a ceasefire failed.
What an eyewitness saw
Qudratullah, an eyewitness in Garmsir, said the jets arrived around 03:30 local time and the strikes continued for 30 minutes. He said people were sleeping when the first bomb exploded and woke them. After the second strike, he said, they took their children and fled. He said a third bomb hit a neighbour's house, killing between four and five members of that family, while others were injured and taken to hospital.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- February this year: Fighting escalated sharply, with clashes and cross-border air strikes. Pakistan said it was in an "open war" with Afghanistan.
- March: Talks mediated by China established a fragile ceasefire. It did not last.
- Last month: An attack on a police facility in north-west Pakistan killed 24 people. The provincial police force blamed the Pakistani Taliban.
- Last week: Pakistan launched air strikes that hit Kandahar, the Taliban's base of power, among other provinces. The Afghan Taliban government said that attack killed four civilians.
- Latest strikes: The Taliban said homes in Kunar and Helmand were hit. Pakistan's information ministry said militant camps were the target. An eyewitness in Garmsir said the jets came around 03:30 local time and struck for 30 minutes.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan ne Afghanistan par hawai hamle kiye hain, Kunar aur Helmand mein. Taliban kehte hain ke 9 aam log mare, jin mein auratein aur bachay bhi thay, aur 11 zakhmi hue. Pakistan ki wazarat-e-itlaat kehti hai ke 22 militan mare, aur hamla camps par tha. Jo log sarhad ke qareeb rehte hain, unke liye raat ko ghar chhorna aur jaan ka khatra barh gaya hai.
