Kabul on Monday threatened Islamabad with uncontrollable consequences after Pakistani strikes which killed eight civilians, women and children, in two provinces of Afghanistan close to the common border.
“Around 3:00 a.m. (11:30 p.m. French time on Sunday) Pakistani aircraft bombed the homes of civilians (...) in the province of Paktika (...) killing six people”
and
“in the province of Khost (...) two women were killed
,” announced Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid.
Afghanistan
“strongly condemns these attacks”
, continued the official spokesperson, denouncing a
“violation of the sovereignty”
of his country.
“These attacks may have consequences that Pakistan would not be able to control
,” he threatened.
“The people of Pakistan and the new civilian government should not allow a few generals to pursue wrong policies (...) which damage the relations of the two neighboring Muslim countries, with such brazen actions
,” he continued.
Since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, border tensions between the two countries have increased.
Pakistan says armed groups, such as the Pakistani Taliban Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), carry out planned attacks from Afghan soil across a porous border.
The attacks come two days after attackers killed seven soldiers in northwest Pakistan's North Waziristan district, near the border with Afghanistan.
This attack was attributed by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to
“terrorists”
.
He promised that Islamabad would respond
“firmly”
and
“regardless of the author and the country he comes from”
.
The Afghan government has always denied harboring foreign armed groups and assured that it would not allow anyone to use Afghan soil to launch attacks against its neighbors.
“Combat aircraft and drones”
“Bombings took place (in Khost)
,” Ahmad Osmani, director of the province's Department of Information and Culture, told AFP.
The official spoke of
“combat planes and drones (which) were flying over”
the area.
A TTP source, who did not wish to be identified, reported nine deaths in bombings in Paktika province alone on Monday.
“A house was targeted and two women and seven children were killed
,” he said in a message to AFP.
Shooting by the Pakistani army against eastern Afghanistan in April 2022 left around fifty dead, Islamabad having demanded
“severe measures”
from Kabul against the militants who attack its territory.