KABUL: Pakistan air strikes in an eastern border province of Afghanistan had killed 46 people, the Taliban government spokesman told AFP on Wednesday.
There has been no official comment from Pakistani authorities on the latest strike in Afghan territory.
“Last night [Tuesday], Pakistan bombarded four points in the Barmal district of Paktika province. The total number of dead is 46, most of whom were children and women,” spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.
He added that six more people were wounded, mostly children.
An Afghan defense ministry statement late Tuesday condemned the latest strikes by Pakistan on Afghan territory, calling them “barbaric” and a “clear aggression.”
“The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered, but rather considers the defense of its territory and sovereignty to be its inalienable right,” the statement said, using the Taliban authorities’ name for the government.
Deadly air strikes by Pakistan’s military in the border regions of Afghanistan in March that the Taliban authorities said killed eight civilians prompted skirmishes on the frontier.
A Barmal resident, Maleel, told AFP Tuesday’s strikes killed 18 members of one family.
“The bombardment hit two or three houses, in one house, 18 people were killed, the whole family lost their lives,” he said.
He said a strike killed three people in another house and wounded several others, who were taken to hospital.
Border tensions between the two countries have escalated since the Taliban government seized power in 2021, with Pakistan battling a resurgence of militant violence in its western border regions.
Islamabad has accused Kabul’s Taliban authorities of harboring militant fighters, allowing them to strike on Pakistani soil with impunity.
Kabul has denied the allegations.
The strike comes after the Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and share a common ideology with their Afghan counterparts, last week claimed a raid on an army outpost near the border with Afghanistan, which Pakistani intelligence officials said killed 16 soldiers.
Earlier Tuesday, high-level Taliban officials were meeting with Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan who was on a visit to Kabul.
Pakistan air strikes kill 46 in Afghanistan — Taliban spokesman
https://arab.news/6j7ea
Pakistan air strikes kill 46 in Afghanistan — Taliban spokesman
- Zabihullah Mujahid says most of the dead were women and children, six wounded, mostly children
- There has been no official comment from Pakistani authorities on the latest strike in Afghan territory
Pakistan says PM Sharif has received invitation to join Gaza peace board
- Board is set to supervise temporary governance of Gaza
- Gaza has been under a shaky ceasefire since October
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Sunday Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had received an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join the so-called “Board of Peace” for Gaza.
The White House on Friday announced some members of this board, which would outlive its role supervising the temporary governance of Gaza, under a fragile ceasefire since October.
The names include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Trump is the chair of the board, according to a plan the White House unveiled in October.
Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas signed off on Trump’s plan, which says a Palestinian technocratic administration will be overseen by an international board, which will supervise Gaza’s governance for a transitional period.
“The Prime Minister of Pakistan has received the invitation from the President of the United States to join the Board of Peace on Gaza,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
“Pakistan will remain engaged with international efforts for peace and security in Gaza, leading to a lasting solution to the Palestine issue in accordance with United Nations resolutions.”
Many rights experts and advocates have said Trump overseeing a board to supervise a foreign territory’s governance resembles a colonial structure, while Blair’s involvement was criticized last year due to his role in the Iraq war and the history of British imperialism in the Middle East.
The White House did not detail the responsibilities of each member of the board. The names do not include any Palestinians. The White House said more members will be announced over the coming weeks.
It also named a separate, 11-member “Gaza Executive Board” to support the technocratic body, including Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, UN Middle East peace coordinator Sigrid Kaag, United Arab Emirates International Cooperation Minister Reem Al-Hashimy, and Israeli-Cypriot billionaire Yakir Gabay.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has said the composition of this board had not been coordinated with Israel and contradicted its policy — possibly a reference to Fidan’s presence, as Israel objects to Turkish involvement.
With inputs from Reuters
