Afghan forces target Pakistan in retaliation for deadly airstrikes

Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry said Saturday that its forces hit several points inside Pakistan in retaliation for deadly airstrikes last week.

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Pakistan last Tuesday launched an operation to destroy a training facility and kill insurgents in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province. The strikes killed dozens of people, mostly women and children.

Comments from the Taliban Defence Ministry on Saturday, posted on X, said its forces targeted Pakistani points that “served as centres and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who organised and coordinated attacks in Afghanistan.”

Ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khwarzami gave no further information about the strikes, including how they were carried out and if there were any casualties on either side.

However, a pro-Taliban media outlet, Hurriyet Daily News, cited ministry sources as saying that the strikes killed 19 Pakistani troops and three Afghan civilians. No one from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry was immediately available for comment.

People celebrated Afghanistan’s retaliation in the country’s southeastern Khost province, according to the organiser, Rasheedullah Hamdard.

Thousands turned out to show their happiness and assure the Afghan military of their support against Pakistan. Khost neighbours Paktika, which was targeted last week.

“All of them were chanting angry slogans against this action by Pakistan, such as death to Pakistan,” Hamdard said. “All Afghans are brothers, so it is necessary that the nation and government show their pride in their blood.”

Pakistani officials have accused the Taliban of not doing enough to combat cross-border militant activity, a charge the Taliban government denies, saying it does not allow anyone to carry out attacks against any country from its soil. (AP)