Civilian Toll Rises as Pakistan Conducts Airstrikes in Eastern Afghanistan

Following air strikes by the Pakistani military in the provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar, at least 36 Afghan civilians have been killed and 163 injured. Islamabad claims the mission was retaliation for a deadly attack on their special forces center in Karachi and targeted the positions of militants; a claim that has been rejected by Kabul due to the significant civilian casualties among women and children.

Pakistan’s Airstrikes on Border Regions Result in Heavy Civilian Casualties

The interim government in Kabul has released shocking statistics revealing that the recent airstrikes conducted by the Pakistani military on three eastern provinces resulted in 36 civilian deaths and left 163 others severely injured. Hamdullah Fatret, the deputy spokesperson for the government, confirmed on Monday, July 8, that Pakistani fighter jets targeted border districts in Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar, with a significant portion of the casualties being women and children.

Crime in Chamkani; A Strategy of Repeated Bombing of Civilians

According to documents provided by the deputy spokesperson, the deadliest incident occurred in the village of Mandokhel in the Chamkani district of Paktia. In the first wave of bombing, an elderly man and a child were killed in a residential home; however, the main tragedy unfolded when local residents gathered to rescue those trapped under the rubble, leading to a second bombardment by Pakistani fighters that resulted in 28 deaths and injured 158 civilians. Additionally, in the Giyan district of Paktika, an airstrike on a family home claimed the lives of six family members, including women and children, while the Monara district in Kunar sustained extensive property damage and destruction of homes.

Islamabad’s Claim: Destruction of Terrorist Hideouts in Response to Karachi Attack

In a contrasting narrative, senior security and political officials in Pakistan have provided a different account of the border operations. Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan’s Information Minister, claimed in a statement that the army targeted and destroyed three specific sites belonging to armed groups during precise ground and aerial operations near the Durand Line, resulting in the death of 29 militants. He stated that this action was a direct retaliation following a suicide and armed attack by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar group (a splinter of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) on the Rangers’ special forces center in Karachi, which left three Pakistani soldiers dead and one assailant with an Afghan ID captured. Islamabad has once again accused Kabul of harboring terrorists, an allegation that the Afghan government vehemently denies.