Pakistan Strikes 10 Sites in Afghanistan
Pakistan says it has carried out air and drone strikes on 10 locations inside Afghanistan after accusing Afghan forces of launching drones towards Pakistani territory a day earlier. Afghanistan has denied responsibility for the alleged drone attacks and says four civilians were killed in Pakistan’s latest strikes.
Pakistan Targets 10 Sites Inside Afghanistan
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes targeted locations allegedly being used to store and launch drones. He described the operation as limited to military objectives connected with attempted attacks against Pakistan.
Islamabad said its air-defence systems detected drones launched from Afghan territory on Wednesday and neutralised them before they could reach their intended targets. Pakistani officials separately claimed that eight drones had been intercepted around Kohat and Torkham.
Afghanistan Says Four Civilians Killed
Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the Pakistani strikes hit Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces and killed four civilians.
Mujahid rejected Pakistan’s allegation that the Taliban government had launched drones into Pakistan and warned that Kabul would respond to what it described as Pakistani aggression.
Pakistan-Afghanistan Tensions Escalate
The latest strikes come just days after Pakistan attacked targets in eastern Afghanistan, claiming 28 militants had been killed. Afghan authorities reported three civilian deaths in those strikes, which were also confirmed by the UN mission in Afghanistan.
Relations have deteriorated as Islamabad accuses Kabul of allowing militant groups to operate from Afghan territory, a charge the Taliban government denies. The latest escalation could complicate mediation efforts involving regional countries seeking to reduce tensions between the neighbours.
