Kamal Ghorui
Footage circulating online shows the aftermath of Pakistani air strikes on a religious madrassa in eastern Afghanistan, with rescuers digging through rubble and families searching for loved ones. Afghan sources told TOLOnews that the seminary in Barmal district of Paktika province was among the sites hit overnight. Local officials say more than 20 people were killed in the strikes that targeted seven sites across Afghanistan.The strikes, which began late on Saturday, reportedly targeted areas in Barmal and Urgun districts of Paktika, as well as Khogyani, Behsud and Ghani Khel districts in Nangarhar province. An AFP journalist in Behsud described residents using a bulldozer to clear debris as bodies were pulled from collapsed buildings. An Afghan security source said at least 17 people died when a house was struck, including 12 children and teenagers.
Islamabad confirmed it had carried out what it called “intelligence-based, selective operations” against seven militant camps along the border. In a statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the action targeted hideouts belonging to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as Fitna al Khwarij, and affiliates of Islamic State Khorasan Province.The Pakistani government said the strikes were a response to recent suicide bombings inside Pakistan, including an attack on a Shiite mosque in Islamabad that killed dozens and assaults in Bajaur and Bannu. Hours before the cross-border operation, a suicide bomber killed two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan had “conclusive evidence” that the attacks were carried out by militants operating from Afghan soil. He added that Pakistan had repeatedly urged the Taliban authorities to prevent armed groups from using their territory to launch attacks.Kabul condemned the air strikes, with Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accusing Pakistani generals of attempting to deflect from their own security failures. The Afghan government has denied harbouring militant groups.Relations between the two neighbours have deteriorated sharply since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, with border clashes in October leaving scores dead. A ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey reduced fighting, but tensions remain high as both sides trade blame over escalating violence.
