The Taliban’s Defence Ministry announced on Monday that it had attacked Pakistani troops at the border in retaliation for Pakistan’s two air strikes on Afghan territory, which resulted in the deaths of eight women and children.
Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Taliban administration, emphasized that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan does not allow anyone to compromise security by using Afghan territory for attacks. He described the Pakistani air strikes as a breach of Afghanistan’s territory and warned of potential consequences that would be beyond Pakistan’s control.
According to Mr. Mujahid, Pakistani aircraft conducted the attack at around 3 am, targeting civilian homes in Khost and Paktika provinces near the border. The strikes resulted in the deaths of three women and three children in Paktika’s Barmal district, and two women in Khost’s Serpera district.
Pakistan’s army and foreign office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the strikes.
The reported air strikes followed an attack on Saturday that resulted in the deaths of seven Pakistani troops at a military post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. In response to this attack, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari vowed retaliation, stating that Pakistan would respond strongly to any act of terror within its borders.
The attack on Saturday was claimed by Jaish-e-Fursan-e-Muhammad, a new militant group believed by Pakistani security officials to be comprised of members of the outlawed Tahrik-e-Taliban (TTP), which frequently targets Pakistani soldiers and police.
Border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated since the Taliban seized power in 2021, leading to increased militant activity in Pakistan. In 2022, Pakistani military helicopters reportedly conducted strikes along the Afghan border, resulting in the deaths of at least 47 people, according to Taliban authorities.
