Pakistan air strikes kill 46 in Afghanistan, Taliban condems the attacks

Pakistan air strikes in an eastern border province of Afghanistan have resulted in death of 46 people, according to a statement from the Taliban government spokesman to AFP on Wednesday.

“Last night (Tuesday), Pakistan bombarded four points in the Barmal district of Paktika province. The total number of dead is 46, most of whom were children and women,” according to spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid .

He further added that six additonal people, mostly children, were wounded in the attacks.

A statement from the Taliban’s Defence Ministry late Tuesday condemned Pakistan’s recent strikes on Afghan territory, describing them as “barbaric” and an act of “clear aggression.”

“The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered, but rather considers the defence of its territory and sovereignty to be its inalienable right,” the statement said, using the Taliban authorities’ name for the government.

Border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have risen since the Taliban took control in 2021, with Pakistan facing a resurgence of militant violence in its western border areas.

Islamabad has accused the Taliban authorities in Kabul of sheltering militant fighters, enabling them to carry out attacks on Pakistani soil without repercussions, while Kabul has rejected these claims.