46 Killed in Pakistani Airstrikes on Afghanistan’s Paktika Province, Taliban Vows Retaliation

At least 46 people, including women and children, were killed in Pakistani airstrikes targeting Afghanistan’s Paktika province, according to Taliban Government officials. The strikes hit four areas in the Barmal district, with Murg Bazaar village reportedly being obliterated.

 

 

Afghan officials condemned the strikes, describing them as a grave violation of sovereignty and a humanitarian tragedy. The Taliban’s Defense Ministry vowed to retaliate, while Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Pakistani envoy to lodge a strong protest.

 

 

Pakistan has not officially commented on the airstrikes, but anonymous security sources claimed the operation aimed to neutralize a terrorist training facility in Paktika. The Pakistani military separately announced the killing of 13 insurgents in South Waziristan.

 

 

The Pakistani Taliban (TTP) alleged the victims were unarmed refugees displaced by Pakistan’s military actions.

 

 

The incident has escalated tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with fears of retaliatory attacks. Security analysts suggest Pakistan’s actions are a response to rising terrorist activity attributed to insurgents operating from Afghan soil.