Desk:In a late-night operation on Tuesday, the Pakistan Air Force conducted airstrikes targeting TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) strongholds in Afghanistan’s Paktika province. Afghan authorities confirmed the deaths of 46 individuals and reported six others injured.
The Taliban government in Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of targeting civilians and warned of retaliatory measures. Taliban spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat condemned the attack, stating that many of the victims were refugees from Waziristan. In response, Afghanistan has increased military deployment, including tanks and heavy weaponry, along the Pakistan border.
Media reports suggest the move comes after Afghan Defense Minister Muhammad Yaqoob Mujahid issued a stern warning to Pakistan. The border tension between the two nations continues to escalate, with fears of further conflict.
Pakistan has yet to release an official statement, but past incidents suggest that such strikes were based on intelligence regarding cross-border terrorism. The TTP, a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, recently carried out a deadly attack on a Pakistani checkpoint, killing 16 soldiers.
Pakistan blames the Taliban for failing to curb terrorist activities along the shared border, a claim the Taliban government denies. It insists that no group is permitted to use Afghan soil for attacks against other nations.