A Pakistani airstrike in southern Afghanistan’s Khost province has killed at least nine children and a woman, according to a Taliban administration spokesman. The attack, which occurred in the Mughalgai area of the Gorbuz district, has intensified tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, which had recently agreed to a ceasefire. The strike has also highlighted the ongoing challenges to regional stability and the complex dynamics between the two neighboring countries.
The neighboring states clashed in October, killing dozens, in the worst violence since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. The escalation was attributed to border security and militant activity. Islamabad accused Kabul of sheltering Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters, allegations that the Taliban administration has dismissed.
The overnight strikes on Tuesday in Afghanistan came a day after a suicide attack targeted the headquarters of Pakistan’s Federal Constabulary force in Pesh, an attack claimed by a splinter group of the TTP. Pakistan has not officially commented on Kabul’s allegations, but its Inter-Services Public Relations department said in a statement that it killed 22 terrorists in an intelligence-based operation in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan.