Kabul, 25 December 2024: At least 15 people, including women and children, were killed in Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan’s Paktika province late Tuesday, local media reported, with the death toll expected to climb.
The attacks targeted the Barmal district, reportedly striking a Taliban training facility and seven villages, including Laman and Murg Bazaar. According to reports, five members of one family in Laman were among the victims, while Murg Bazaar was reduced to rubble.
The airstrikes caused widespread destruction and civilian casualties, worsening Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis and straining already fragile ties between Islamabad and Kabul. Afghanistan’s interim government condemned the attacks as “barbaric” and pledged a strong response.
“The bombing in Barmal district claimed civilian lives, including Waziristani refugees, many of whom were martyred or injured,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. “This aggression defies international norms. The Islamic Emirate is ready to defend its sovereignty.”
Pakistan has yet to confirm responsibility for the strikes, which coincide with escalating disputes over the presence of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan. Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering TTP militants, who have ramped up attacks against Pakistani forces in recent months.
The Afghan Taliban denies these allegations, blaming Pakistan for escalating tensions. This latest confrontation adds new challenges to an already strained relationship between the two neighbours.
