Islamabad:akistan's reported overnight airstrikes inside Afghanistan have triggered fresh controversy, with Afghan sources alleging that more than 35 civilians, including children and elderly people, were killed in multiple strikes carried out shortly after midnight. The operation came a day after militants attacked the Pakistan Rangers' regional headquarters in Karachi, an incident that Islamabad has blamed on militant groups operating from Afghan territory.
Pakistan says the strikes targeted militant hideouts and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said 29 militants were killed in the operation. But Afghan sources have challenged Pakistan’s version of events, saying that residential areas were targeted and civilians rather than militants were killed.
Afghan sources claim residential areas targetedAfghan sources say Pakistan Air Force planes conducted strikes in the districts of Gyan in Paktika province, Chamkani in Paktia province and Marawara in Kunar province. Local reports said houses and mosques were among the targets of the operation.Afghan officials and local residents said the shelling left more than 100 people injured, with hospitals receiving a large number of casualties including women, children and elderly civilians.
Claims emerge over alleged 'double-tap' strikesAfghan sources also said a second series of air strikes was carried out shortly after the initial bombardment. The claims said villagers rushed to pull people out from under collapsed buildings when another wave of strikes hit the same areas.
Afghan sources described the alleged follow-up attack as a “double-tap” strike, with claims that rescuers and civilians attempting to bring relief were also caught in the bombardment. There has been no public response from Pakistan to the charges.
Survivors reject Pakistan's accountAfghan media quoted eyewitnesses denying Islamabad's claim of targeting militant hideouts. There were no TTP militants or military personnel around this area when the bombing started,” one survivor said. Pakistan is lying to the world to justify this killing. “Every single person impacted by this strike is just a normal local trying to make ends meet.”
Another injured resident from Chamkani said: “My neighbour Badshah Khan’s house was flattened in the airstrike. We ran to the debris to dig out women and children trapped underneath. Minutes later the Pakistan military dropped another bomb right on top of our rescue crowd. Dozens died in front of my eyes.No independent verification has been made of these claims.
Pakistan says operation targeted militantsPakistan has justified its cross-border operations as part of its campaign against Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups, blaming them for using Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan.Islamabad has repeatedly asked the Afghan Taliban administration to crack down on anti-Pakistan militant groups allegedly operating from Afghanistan. Kabul has repeatedly denied sheltering such organisations.
Border tensions continue to escalateThe latest incident is expected to put more pressure on already strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. In recent months there has been repeated cross-border military action between the two countries, each side accusing the other of contributing to instability along the frontier.Diplomatic engagement and international efforts have been made in several rounds to de-escalate tensions, but violence along the border has continued, raising concerns for regional security.
What did Pakistan say?“Sunday’s operation was aimed specifically at hideouts and safe havens of the Pakistani Taliban operating near the Afghan border,” Attaullah Tarar said Sunday. The TTP is not part of the Taliban government that rules Afghanistan, but it has ideological and operational links with the Afghan Taliban, which regained control of Kabul in 2021 following the withdrawal of US-led forces.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban government of allowing anti-Pakistan militants to use Afghan territory as a base for attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has again denied the allegations.
New military activity may further strain bilateral tiesThe latest attack is expected to further strain the already fragile ties between Islamabad and Kabul. Pakistan had carried out airstrikes against what it said were militant positions inside Afghanistan less than three weeks ago. The strikes brought to an end a short spell of relative calm after weeks of increased military confrontation between the two neighbouring countries.Pakistan had called the hostilities a “open war” even as international diplomatic efforts to ease tensions continue.
Months of cross-border conflict continueThe latest escalation is just one of many tit-for-tat military moves seen in recent months. The two countries have exchanged fire across the border since February, killing hundreds of people.
Recent developments underscore the inability of multiple rounds of internationally mediated peace efforts to establish a sustainable ceasefire. China held talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in April and later said the two sides had agreed to avoid further escalation while exploring diplomatic solutions to their disputes. But sustained militant attacks and cross-border operations have continued to undermine those efforts.