Pakistan, in rare airstrikes, targeted multiple suspected hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban inside neighbouring Afghanistan on Tuesday, dismantling a training facility and reportedly killing some insurgents.
Afganisthan-based Khaama Press claimed that a series of Pakistani airstrikes on the Barmal district of Paktika province has resulted in the death of at least 15 people, including women and children, with the toll expected to rise.
The attacks, which took place on the night of December 24, targeted seven villages, including Laman, where five members of a family were killed, Khaama Press reported.
Some media reports indicate that the Murg Bazaar village in Barmal was destroyed, exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The airstrikes have caused severe civilian casualties and widespread destruction, further escalating tensions in the region. As recovery efforts continue, further investigation is required to confirm details and clarify responsibility for the attacks, Khaama Press reported.
Taliban vowed retaliation
The Taliban’s ministry of defence has vowed to retaliate following the airstrike on Barmal, Paktika. It stated that defending their land and sovereignty is their legitimate right, and condemned the attack, claiming that “Waziristani refugees” were among those targeted.
While Pakistani officials have not officially confirmed the airstrikes, the reports come amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly regarding the presence of Pakistani militants in Afghanistan.
The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakisthan (TTP), has increased its attacks on Pakistani forces in recent months, with Pakistan accusing the Afghan Taliban of providing shelter to these militants, Khaama Press reported.
Second attack since March
It was the second such attack on alleged hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban since March, when Pakistan said intelligence-based strikes took place in the border regions inside Afghanistan, news agency Associated Press reported.
In a post on the X platform, the Afghan defense ministry said the Pakistani side should know that such unilateral measures are not a solution to any problem.
“The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered but rather considers the defense of its territory and territory to be its inalienable right.”
The strikes came hours after Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, travelled to Kabul to discuss a range of issues, including how to enhance bilateral trade and improve ties.
TTP attacks on Pakistani soldiers
- The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP has stepped up attacks on Pakistani soldiers and police since November 2022, when it unilaterally ended a cease-fire with the government after the failure of months of talks hosted by Afghanistan’s government in Kabul.
- The TTP, in recent months, has killed and wounded dozens of soldiers in attacks inside the country.
- The Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 202, and the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has emboldened the Pakistani Taliban, whose leaders and fighters are hiding in Afghanistan.
