Pakistan conducts airstrikes in Afghanistan's Paktika province, 15 killed

Pakistan has reportedly conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan's Paktika province on December 24, targeting several villages in the Barmal district. The attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 15 people, including women and children, with local sources warning that the toll could rise.

Among the hardest-hit areas was Murg Bazaar, which suffered significant destruction, compounding the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region.

While Pakistan has not officially confirmed the strikes, military sources claim the operation aimed to neutralize militant hideouts near the border. Afghan officials, however, strongly condemned the attacks, with the Taliban's Ministry of Defence accusing Pakistan of targeting civilians, including Waziristani refugees.

The Ministry declared the strikes a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and vowed to retaliate, asserting their right to defend their territory.

The airstrikes have further strained relations between the two nations, already fraught with tensions over the activities of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of harboring TTP militants, who have intensified attacks on Pakistani forces in recent months.

The Afghan Taliban denies these allegations, maintaining that their territory is not being used as a safe haven for militants.

The civilian toll of the strikes has sparked outrage, with reports of children among the victims and entire families displaced. Waziristani refugees, long uprooted by military operations in Pakistan’s tribal regions, now face renewed suffering as they are caught in the crossfire of escalating hostilities.

This latest incident highlights the fragile state of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations and the growing risk of broader conflict. As both sides exchange blame and promises of further action, the region faces mounting instability and an uncertain future.