On Tuesday, a late-night Pakistani airstrike in the southern Afghan province of Khost killed at least nine children and one woman, according to a Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid. The attack, which targeted a civilian house, destroyed the property of Waliat Khan, son of Qazi Mir. The strike also injured four civilians in separate attacks in Kunar and Patrika provinces. These incidents have reignited tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, which had recently agreed to a ceasefire following months of border clashes.
The strike has been accused of undermining the fragile ceasefire agreement between the two nations. Pakistan’s military has not officially commented on the allegations, but the Inter-Services Public Relations department claimed to have killed 22 terrorists in a recent intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. The attack is attributed to heightened security concerns and accusations from both sides of mutual hostility. Islamabad has accused Kabul of harboring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters, which the Taliban has denied. The incident marks the most severe escalation of violence since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Meanwhile, the region has seen a steady rise in cross-border militant attacks, with a suicide bombing targeting the headquarters of Pakistan’s Federal Constabulary force in Peshawar occurring just a day before the Khost strikes. A splinter group of the TTP claimed responsibility for the Pesh, leading to fears of further instability. The diplomatic fallout from the Khost strike is expected to add to an already strained relationship between the two nations, particularly with the recent border clashes that killed dozens of troops and civilians.