New Delhi: More than 20 people are reported dead in an airstrike carried out by Pakistan in Afghanistan. According to Afghan media and security sources, 18 bodies have been recovered so far, while relief and rescue operations are ongoing.
Following this action, tensions between the two countries have escalated. Afghanistan has strongly condemned the attack, calling it a move targeting innocent civilians, especially women and children. It has also warned Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir that this action will be retaliated against.
Taliban’s Stern Warning
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has reacted sharply to Pakistan’s airstrikes. Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the attacks in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, stating that this action was carried out by targeting innocent civilians.
Mujahid issued a statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), alleging that the Pakistani military leadership is taking such steps to divert attention from its country’s internal security challenges. He claimed that the Pakistani army intruded into Afghan territory and carried out an attack, in which several people, including women and children, were killed and injured. He also warned that this action would be retaliated against.
According to Afghanistan, Pakistan targeted a civilian house in Behsud district of Nangarhar province in this operation. 23 members of the same family were buried under the rubble in this attack. At least 12 children and adolescents are reported among the dead.
Afghan officials claim that dozens of civilians were killed and injured in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces. It is reported that a religious seminary in Barmal (Paktika) was also hit by the attack. Pakistan, confirming the attacks, described them as “intelligence-based selected actions.” Pakistan states that seven hideouts of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State-Khorasan (ISKP) were targeted in these attacks.
Pakistan says – responded to terrorists
Pakistan claims that these attacks were focused on terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan. Islamabad states that this action was taken in response to recent terrorist attacks in the country.
Meanwhile, the Afghan Ministry of Defense strongly condemned these attacks, calling it a clear violation of Afghan sovereignty. The ministry has warned that it will “respond at an appropriate time by counting.”
It is reported that this action was taken after recent suicide bombings – including an attack on a Shia mosque in Islamabad – which claimed dozens of lives. It is worth noting that tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have already been heightened since the border conflict in October 2025, in which more than 70 people were killed. The latest developments have again created serious tension in the relations between the two countries.
