Taliban has accused Pakistan of a midnight airstrike in Afghanistan on Tuesday in southeastern Khost province, leaving 10 dead, including nine children and a woman. The attack has been confirmed by the Taliban administration’s chief spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid. Mujahid confirmed that Pakistan struck a civilian home in Gurbuz district around 12 am.
The house that was struck at midnight has been identified, and it belongs to one Waliat Khan, son of Qazi Mir. The house was completely destroyed in the blast, confirmed authorities. “The Pakistani invading forces bombed the house of a local civilian resident,” he wrote on X. “As a result, nine children — five boys and four girls — and one woman were martyred.” Besides this airstrike, more airstrikes hit Kunar and Paktika provinces, where at least four civilians were injured.
Strike Follows Deadly Attacks Inside Pakistan
The attack in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan happened within 24 hours of a suicide attack that rocked the headquarters of Pakistan’s Federal Constabulary in Peshawar, killing multiple security personnel. The suicide attack in Pakistan was claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a terror faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It was confirmed by Pakistan’s state broadcaster, PTV, that the attack was carried out by Afghan nationals. Pakistani President Asif Zardari called this “foreign-backed Fitna al-Khawarij.”
This is the second such attack; earlier this month, another suicide bombing happened in Islamabad, killing 12 people. That attack was also claimed by a TTP faction. There has been an increase in attacks between both countries.
A Fragile Ceasefire Under Threat
The relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been deteriorating since the Taliban took over in 2021. But since October, tensions have intensified between the two nations, killing around 70 people in both countries. The confrontations were controlled by a ceasefire mediated by Qatar and Turkey. The last ceasefire covered different points, one of the most important being Pakistan asking the Afghan Taliban to keep a check on TTP bases and control their cross-border movement. But the latest airstrike in Khost has threatened the fragile diplomatic efforts. Calling the bombing “clear aggression,” Afghanistan warned Pakistan of renewed conflict.
