Pakistan confirmed on Wednesday that it conducted airstrikes in eastern regions of Afghanistan and claimed that 26 members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed in the operation. Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan’s Minister of Information, said the strikes were carried out in response to recent attacks inside Pakistan. According to him, Pakistani forces conducted targeted operations against militant hideouts in the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. He added that the operations were based on intelligence and that several TTP-linked targets, including a training centre, a hideout, and an ammunition depot, were hit. His remarks came after the Taliban announced that Pakistani warplanes had struck areas in the provinces of Kunar, Khost, and Paktika overnight. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, said that at least 13 civilians, including 11 children, one woman, and one elderly man, were killed in these strikes, and 14 others were wounded. He described the strikes as a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty. Pakistan has so far not responded to the Taliban’s claims regarding civilian casualties. The strikes come as relations between Islamabad and the Taliban have been marked by growing tensions in recent months. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of sheltering members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, but the Taliban have denied these claims.
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