Taliban Reports Civilian Casualties from Pakistani Airstrikes in Afghanistan

The Taliban has reported that nine civilians were killed in airstrikes carried out by Pakistan in the provinces of Kunar and Helmand, prompting a strong reaction from Islamabad.

Taliban Claims Pakistani Airstrikes in Kunar and Helmand Killed Nine Civilians

The Taliban government announced that recent airstrikes by Pakistani forces in the provinces of Kunar and Helmand resulted in the deaths of at least nine civilians. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban, shared images on the social media platform X, stating that Pakistani warplanes bombed areas in Choghm and the Shaltan district of Kunar, as well as Safar in the Garmsir district of Helmand last night.

Mujahid claimed that three residential homes were completely destroyed in the strikes, leading to the deaths of nine individuals, including women and children, while eleven others sustained injuries. He condemned the attack, labeling it a ‘crime.’

Islamabad: 22 Militants Killed in Air Operations

In response to these allegations, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information published a statement on Thursday, October 1, announcing a military operation titled ‘Wrath for the Truth.’ The statement claimed that this operation was conducted based on intelligence reports against groups referred to as ‘Fitna al-Khawarij’ and ‘Fitna al-Hindustan.’

Pakistan asserted that 22 militants from these groups were killed during the operation, and a significant cache of their weapons was destroyed. The ministry denied causing any civilian casualties and emphasized that the operation targeted only these groups.

Recent Airstrikes and Their Impact

These incidents followed a series of airstrikes by Pakistan in the provinces of Kandahar, Paktia, Khost, and Paktika. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) had previously confirmed civilian casualties in some of these areas. The renewed airstrikes and ensuing human toll have raised serious concerns about the security and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan’s border regions.