Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan kill at least 13 - in escalation of fighting

Pakistan launched new airstrikes in Afghanistan after months of fighting between the two neighbours that killed hundreds.

The attacks on three border regions, said to be on militant hideouts and infrastructure linked to recent attacks inside Pakistan, ended more than a month's pause in fighting between the two nations.

As has been common throughout the conflict, which is estimated to have displaced over 100,000 people, the two countries gave widely different assessments of casualty figures.

Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed 13 people - 11 children, one woman and an elderly man - were killed and that 14 other civilians had been wounded. However, Pakistan said 26 militants were killed.

"Based on credible intelligence, selective targeting of camps and hideouts was carried out with precision and accuracy," Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan information minister, said on X.

"Four targets were completely destroyed, including a training centre, a hideout and an ammunition cache."

Kabul said the strikes on Wednesday hit the eastern provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika that run along the mountainous border with Pakistan.

The two states have been engaged in deadly fighting since late February, when Islamabad said it was in open war with Afghanistan after the country launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in retaliation for airstrikes.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harbouring militants that carry out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, an accusation that Kabul denies.

These militant groups include the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. They are separate from, but allied with, the Afghan Taliban, which has ruled Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021 amid the chaotic withdrawal of US-led troops.

Militant attacks in Pakistan have risen fourfold since 2022, according to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), the year after the ‌Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan.

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Multiple rounds of internationally mediated peace talks have failed to produce a lasting ceasefire.

Wednesday's strikes come months after China hosted peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Urumqi, in northern China.

Beijing said the two sides agreed not to escalate their conflict and to explore a solution.

Haji Ali Khan, a tribal elder from Khost, said one of the airstrikes hit the home of a local shepherd after midnight, killing 10 people, in a village.

"The family whose house was bombed are local villagers. They have no connection with the TTP, nor do they even know them," he said, referring to the Pakistani Taliban.

(c) Sky News 2026: Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan kill at least 13 - in escalation of fighting