Pakistan army cautiously rejects strikes in Afghanistan

Pakistan’s military on Tuesday issued a cautious response to Taliban accusations of deadly airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan, saying it does not conduct undeclared military operations and “never targets civilians”.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement that Pakistani strikes hit parts of Khost, Paktika and Kunar provinces overnight, killing at least 10 civilians. Mujahid described the attacks as “violations and crimes” and said Afghanistan would issue a “timely” response.

Pakistan’s military spokesman, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, told reporters that Islamabad announces all its strikes when they occur and denies targeting civilians. “We never target non‑combatants,” he said.

The disputes come amid intense cross‑border tensions. In October, eight days of fighting along the Pakistan‑Afghanistan frontier left around 37 dead and more than 400 injured and led to the closure of key border crossings a month later.

While the Taliban blame Pakistan’s military for violating Afghan sovereignty, Islamabad has long insisted it acts only against militants it accuses of operating from Afghanistan’s territory and says peace efforts must focus on eliminating terrorism.

According to Taliban spokesman, Pakistani fighter jets bombed parts of Khost, Kunar and Paktika provinces early on Tuesday.

Residents in the area confirmed that the victims were civilians, mostly children.

“Those who were killed were children and poor people. They had no ties with the government or the Taliban. They were innocent,” said Jumauddin, a resident of Khost.

“The bombing targeted innocent people, including a woman who had done nothing. These people did not fight or resist, yet they were martyred,” Waliullah, another Khost resident, said.

Footage from Kunar also shows damaged homes, with local sources reporting at least five people were wounded in Asadabad following the strikes.

Saifullah, a resident of Paktika, said: “The drone circled three times. On the third round, it attacked, and then it didn’t return.”

Abdul Hadi, a wounded civilian in Paktika, also appeared in the videos.