Pak Airstrikes in Afghanistan Kill 13, Including 11 Children: Taliban Officials

Kabul, June 10: At least 13 people, including 11 children, were killed and 14 others injured after Pakistan launched fresh airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, Taliban officials said on Wednesday, marking another escalation in the months-long conflict between the two neighbouring countries.

Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes targeted the provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika, killing 11 children, one woman and one elderly man. Pakistan had not officially acknowledged the strikes at the time of reporting.

The attacks came a day after suspected militants of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) assaulted a security post in the Hasan Khel area of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to Pakistan’s Interior Ministry, six members of the Federal Constabulary were killed and several others injured in the ensuing gunbattle.

Pakistani authorities said security forces killed eight attackers and foiled an attempt to overrun the checkpoint. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi attended funeral prayers for the slain personnel in Peshawar and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to intensifying operations against militant groups threatening national security.

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained high since late February, when cross-border military actions triggered a cycle of retaliatory strikes. Pakistan declared it was in an open conflict with Afghanistan following a surge in militant attacks inside its territory.

Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of carrying out deadly airstrikes in March that allegedly struck a drug-treatment centre in Kabul, killing more than 400 people, a claim Pakistan has denied, maintaining that it targeted an ammunition depot and not civilians.

The latest escalation comes despite diplomatic efforts led by China. Earlier this year, Beijing hosted talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Urumqi, where both sides reportedly agreed to avoid further escalation and seek a political solution to their disputes.

Pakistan continues to accuse Afghanistan of sheltering militants, particularly the TTP, responsible for attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has consistently rejected the allegations. (Agencies)