KABUL: The Taliban government said on Wednesday that three civilians were killed in southeastern Afghanistan when Pakistani forces fired mortars and artillery across the countries’ shared border.

Deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat told media in an audio message that the deaths happened on Tuesday in Kot village, in the Dand Patan district of Paktia province.

“Three civilians were killed due to a shell hitting their houses and three were injured,” he added.

A medical source also confirmed the death of three civilians to an AFP correspondent in southeastern Afghanistan.

Pakistan has insisted it does not target civilians. Casualty claims from both sides are difficult to verify independently.

Months of cross-border clashes have flared again since February 26, when Afghanistan launched an offensive along the frontier, in retaliation for earlier Pakistani air strikes.

Islamabad then declared “open war” against the Taliban authorities and led strikes on Kabul and Kandahar in the following days.

Regular clashes have been reported in the border areas since February 26.

Fitrat said Pakistan has fired “hundreds of mortars and artillery” along the border, causing civilian casualties.

Two civilians were also injured in the eastern province of Khost on Tuesday, the spokesman added.
According to a report by the United Nations mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), 56 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan, including 24 children, by Pakistani military operations between February 26 and March 5.

About 115,000 people were forced to leave their homes, according to the UN refugee agency.