Taliban Accuse Pakistan of Airstrikes: “A Woman and Nine Children Killed in Khost,” Says Zabihullah Mujahid
Afghanistan’s interim Taliban government has accused Pakistan of carrying out an airstrike in Khost province, claiming that a woman and nine children were killed when a house was hit. They also say four more civilians were injured in separate airstrikes in Kunar and Paktika.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on social media platform X that the bombing took place around midnight between Monday and Tuesday in Gurbuz district of Khost. According to him, the house of a local resident, Wilayat Khan, was targeted.
He also shared photos of the children who were allegedly killed in the strike.
Mujahid further claimed that airstrikes were also carried out in Kunar and Paktika, injuring at least four civilians.
Residents in Kunar told BBC Pashto that they heard loud explosions late at night in Marawara, Asadabad, and Shultan areas. A man from Asadabad said the blasts were heard after midnight.
This is not the first time Afghanistan has accused Pakistani forces of launching airstrikes inside its territory. Last month, the Taliban government also accused Pakistan of conducting strikes in Kabul and other areas.
Pakistan has previously denied Kabul’s claims of targeting sites inside Afghanistan. However, last month Pakistan did say that it had struck terrorist hideouts in border areas inside Afghanistan.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan remain high due to the actions of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistan says TTP militants based in Afghanistan are carrying out attacks inside Pakistan and that the Afghan interim government must take action. Afghanistan, on the other hand, says TTP is Pakistan’s internal issue.
The latest allegations come at a time when Pakistan has witnessed three suicide attacks this month. Pakistani officials have claimed that Afghan nationals and Taliban commanders based in Afghanistan were involved in those attacks.
