The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has reported that Pakistani military air strikes in the eastern provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar resulted in 36 civilian deaths and 163 injuries, along with the destruction of three residential houses.
Civilian Toll Detailed by Taliban Spokesperson
Hamdullah Fitrat, the Taliban's deputy spokesperson, provided a detailed account on social media on Monday. He stated that in Mandokhail Village, Chamkani District, Paktia Province, Pakistani fighter jets bombed a civilian residence, killing an elderly man and a child, and injuring other family members. When local residents gathered for rescue operations, a second strike hit the same area, causing 28 deaths and 158 injuries.
In Walust Village, Giyan District, Paktika Province, another strike targeted a villager's home, killing six people, mostly women and children. In Barolo Village, Manogai District, Kunar Province, a third strike destroyed a civilian residence, but no casualties were reported.
Pakistan's Justification and Retaliatory Context
Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated on Sunday night that the operation was a well-planned, intelligence-based ground operation combined with aerial strikes, in retaliation for recent terrorist incidents inside Pakistan. He specifically cited attacks on security camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and a paramilitary camp in Karachi.
The escalation followed a Saturday night assault on the Pakistan Sindh Rangers headquarters in Karachi's Gulistan-i-Jauhar locality, where three paramilitary personnel and three attackers died. An affiliate of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for that attack, according to Al Jazeera.
Regional Tensions and Failed Peace Efforts
This latest unilateral action by Pakistan is expected to severely worsen tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. The offensive occurred less than three weeks after Pakistan launched similar strikes targeting militant hideouts in Afghanistan. It shattered a fragile one-month period of relative stability, following what Islamabad had previously called an "open war" between the two nations.
Since February, border skirmishes have claimed hundreds of lives, with the cycle intensifying after Afghanistan executed retaliatory strikes in response to Pakistan's air incursions. Multiple internationally mediated peace negotiations have failed to secure a sustainable ceasefire. In April, China hosted diplomatic talks, leading to commitments from both sides to curb hostilities, but Pakistan's latest assault has undermined those agreements.
