ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government has accused Pakistan of carrying out deadly airstrikes in its eastern provinces of Nangarhar and Khost, killing at least three people, injuring seven others, and damaging civilian homes.
The strikes, reportedly conducted late Wednesday, were condemned by the Afghan Foreign and Defence Ministries. Kabul summoned the Pakistani ambassador and called the strikes a “provocative act.”
The Defence Ministry warned the actions would fuel hostility between the two nations, describing them as “barbaric and brutal.”
Local witnesses described the destruction, with one Nangarhar resident recounting how he rescued children and a woman from the rubble of his destroyed home. Officials, including Nangarhar’s deputy governor, claimed the strikes were carried out by Pakistani drones.
However, Islamabad has yet to comment on the incident.
This is not the first time Kabul has blamed Pakistan for cross-border airstrikes.
In December 2024, similar accusations were made regarding strikes in Paktika province targeting suspected hideouts of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned militant group responsible for numerous attacks in Pakistan.
At the time, Pakistan did not confirm the operations, and Kabul claimed it launched retaliatory strikes inside Pakistan.
The recent airstrikes come just a week after a trilateral meeting in Kabul between diplomats from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China, where the parties pledged cooperation against terrorism.
Despite efforts to improve ties — including a diplomatic upgrade three months ago — relations between Islamabad and Kabul remain tense.
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring the Pakistani Taliban, an allegation Kabul denies, asserting it does not allow militant use of its territory.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, security concerns and cross-border tensions have intensified, particularly with Pakistan, which has witnessed a surge in TTP-led attacks.
The ongoing blame and violence threaten regional stability and diplomatic progress between the two Muslim-majority neighbors. (AP)
