Pakistan’s government announced on Thursday it conducted air strikes in Afghanistan, stating the operation targeted camps used by armed groups and resulted in the deaths of 22 fighters. In response, officials in Afghanistan reported that strikes in the provinces of Kunar and Helmand killed nine civilians, including women and children.
According to a statement from Pakistan’s Ministry of Information, the strikes were aimed at “camps and hideouts” located within Afghan territory. The Pakistani government has stated that these locations are used by groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to organize and launch attacks inside Pakistan.
The government in Kabul presented a conflicting account of the events. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan government, said the strikes occurred late Wednesday. In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Mujahid said the attacks killed at least nine people and wounded 11 others. He added that three houses were destroyed in the Kunar and Helmand provinces.
“We condemn this act and consider it an aggression and crime against all accepted principles,” Mujahid wrote in the post.
The Afghan government denies accusations that it allows armed groups to operate from its territory. It maintains that Pakistani military operations have affected civilian areas.
The reports of strikes follow a period of friction between the two neighboring countries over border security. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of failing to control militant groups that conduct cross-border raids on Pakistani security forces and civilians.
News organizations have not been able to independently verify the casualty figures provided by either the Pakistani or Afghan governments.
