Pakistan launches airstrikes in Afghanistan, killing 15; Taliban threatens retaliation

Afghanistan’s Barmal district of Paktika province was struck by a series of Pakistani airstrikes that resulted in the death of at least 15 people, including women and children. The attacks took place on the night of December 24, and reportedly targeted seven villages, including Laman, where five members of a family were killed, local media reported.

Pakistani jets were responsible for the bombings, reports claimed citing local sources. The Murg Bazaar village in Barmal was destroyed. The Taliban’s Ministry of Defence has vowed to retaliate following the airstrike and said that defending their land and sovereignty is their legitimate right. Condemning the attack, the Taliban claimed that “Waziristani refugees” were among those targeted.

Pakistani officials have not officially confirmed the airstrikes which come amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly regarding the presence of Pakistani militants in Afghanistan.

Enayatullah Khwarazmi, a spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry of Defence, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that “civilian people, mostly Waziristani refugees,” had been killed in the airstrike.

Enayatullah Khwarazmi said that “several children and other civilians were martyred and wounded” in the attack. The Waziristani refugees are civilians who had been displaced by military operations in Pakistan’s tribal areas.