Pakistan says 22 fighters killed in air attacks on Afghanistan
Pakistan said it carried out air strikes inside Afghanistan on camps and hideouts used by armed groups, killing an estimated 22 fighters. Afghanistan's government said the strikes on Kunar and Helmand provinces killed at least nine women and children and wounded 11, and destroyed three houses.
Why It Matters
Cross-border attacks between Pakistan and Afghanistan risk further destabilising relations and escalating violence after a brief lull; both sides exchange accusations about responsibility for armed groups operating along their shared border. Independent verification of the casualty claims was not available.
Key Facts
- Attacking country: Pakistan
- Target locations: Kunar and Helmand provinces, Afghanistan
- Pakistan's claimed casualties: About 22 fighters killed
- Afghan government's reported civilian toll: At least nine women and children killed, 11 wounded
- Property damage reported by Kabul: Three houses destroyed
Pakistan's Ministry of Information said on Thursday that its forces launched air attacks inside Afghanistan, striking what Islamabad described as camps and hideouts used by armed groups in two locations. The Pakistani statement estimated that about 22 fighters were killed in the operations.
Afghan government officials disputed that account, saying the strikes late on Wednesday hit the northeastern Kunar and southern Helmand provinces and resulted in civilian casualties. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for Afghanistan's government, said at least nine women and children were killed and 11 others wounded, and that three houses were destroyed.
The two sides have traded accusations amid a resurgence of cross-border violence after approximately three months of relative calm. Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering militant groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Pakistan says carry out attacks across the border. The Afghan government rejects that claim and says Pakistani strikes have hit civilian homes.
Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify the competing casualty figures. The incident is part of a broader pattern of tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier, raising concern about the potential for further escalation between the neighbours.
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