Afghanistan: Taliban Claim Pakistani Airstrikes Killed Civilians

KABUL (Terror Monitor) — Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has claimed that Pakistani airstrikes in several areas of Afghanistan killed and injured 36 civilians, including women and children.

In a post on X, Mujahid shared images of injured children and condemned the strikes, calling them "a cowardly act of aggression" and describing them as "a crime and a brutal act."

According to the Taliban, the airstrikes targeted civilian-populated areas in Jani (Paktika Province), Samkani (Paktia Province), and Marawara (Kunar Province).

Taliban security sources claimed that the heaviest casualties occurred in Mandi Khel village in Paktia Province, where around 100 people were reportedly killed or wounded. These claims have not been independently verified.

According to local medical officials, more than 40 injured people were brought to nearby hospitals following the strikes, while critically wounded patients were transferred to Gardez Hospital for further treatment.

Taliban-appointed local officials also said an airstrike struck a house in the Barol area of Marawara district in Kunar Province. Due to the remoteness of the area, casualty details have not yet been confirmed.

Witness accounts and videos circulating online allege that residential buildings were among the targets of the Pakistani strikes. Terror Monitor has not independently verified these claims.

The airstrikes came a day after an attack on a Rangers compound in Karachi's Gulistan-e-Johar area killed three Pakistani security personnel. According to the Pakistani military, security forces killed three attackers and captured another wounded suspect alive, identifying him as an Afghan national. The banned militant group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for the attack.

Pakistan's state media, citing security sources, reported that the captured suspect confessed to receiving training in Afghanistan.

Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the cross-border operation was conducted in response to recent terrorist attacks, particularly the Karachi Rangers compound attack. He said Pakistani security forces had targeted "terrorist camps and safe havens with precision."

Islamabad maintains that Afghan territory is being used as a sanctuary by anti-Pakistan militant groups, an allegation the Taliban rejects, insisting that militancy in Pakistan is an internal issue.

Although both countries agreed to a ceasefire in March, cross-border incidents have continued intermittently. The latest strikes have further heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, whose relations have remained strained since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.