Pakistan confirms air raids on Afghan border regions, dozens dead

Dozens of Afghan civilians were killed and injured after Pakistan carried out cross-border airstrikes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, sharply escalating tensions between the two neighbours. Afghan authorities said residential areas in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar and Paktika were hit, resulting in casualties that included women and children.

Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the attacks targeted civilians, accusing Pakistan of bombing populated areas during the night. He said dozens were “martyred and wounded,” triggering outrage in Kabul and renewed warnings of retaliation.

Pakistan, however, defended the strikes, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirming that the Pakistan Air Force carried out what he described as intelligence-based, selective operations. He said seven terrorist camps belonging to the Pakistani Taliban and its affiliates were targeted since the start of Ramadan, including hideouts linked to Islamic State affiliates blamed for a deadly mosque attack in Islamabad. In a separate statement, the Pakistani Army said repeated requests to the Afghan Taliban to prevent the use of Afghan soil for militant activities had gone unheeded. Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government denied the allegations, warning that Pakistan had violated Afghan airspace and asserting its right to respond. While no immediate military action has been announced, Taliban sources said senior leaders were holding urgent meetings in Kabul and Kandahar to decide on possible retaliation.