Pakistan launched air strikes on Afghanistan overnight, leading to nine civilian deaths in Kabul. Pakistan said the operation targeted militant hideouts in Kunar and Helmand provinces, killing 22 militants. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the attacks as an "act of aggression and a violation of accepted principles" by the Pakistani government.
Pakistan carried out fresh air strikes on Afghanistan overnight, with the Taliban government in Kabul saying nine civilians, including women and children, were killed and 11 others injured.
Pakistan's Information Ministry said the strikes targeted militant hideouts in Kunar and Helmand provinces and that initial reports indicated 22 militants had been killed. It said weapons and ammunition were also destroyed. The competing casualty claims could not be independently verified.
Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes hit civilian homes in Kunar's Shultan district and Helmand's Garmsir district, destroying three houses. He condemned the attacks as an act of aggression and a violation of accepted principles.
Pakistan said the operation was "well planned and calibrated" and that maximum precautions had been taken to prevent civilian casualties. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban government of allowing militants, including the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from Afghan territory and launch attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies the allegations.
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The latest strikes come amid renewed tensions between the two neighbours following a period of relative calm. Pakistan has carried out several air strikes inside Afghanistan in recent weeks, while Kabul has accused Islamabad of targeting civilian areas.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has documented more than 1,100 civilian deaths and injuries from cross-border violence in Afghanistan this year, according to the Associated Press.
The two countries have previously reached ceasefires through Chinese mediation, but the arrangements have failed to resolve their dispute over cross-border militancy.
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