Nine children killed in Pakistani attack in Afghan province
At least nine children and one woman were killed after Pakistani forces carried out airstrikes on a residential home in Afghanistan’s Khost province, the Taliban government said on Tuesday.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the attack took place around midnight in the Gurbuz district, where a house belonging to a local resident, Wilayat Khan, was hit. According to Mujahid, the airstrike “completely destroyed the home” and killed five boys, four girls, and a woman. He also shared photos of the victims on social media, alleging the strike targeted civilians.
Mujahid added that Pakistani forces conducted additional operations in Kunar and Paktika provinces, injuring at least four civilians. He condemned the strikes as “unjustifiable aggression” and urged Islamabad to halt cross-border military activities that put civilian populations at risk.
Pakistani military and foreign ministry officials did not issue an immediate response, and attempts to reach them outside regular office hours were unsuccessful.
The latest escalation comes less than a day after twin suicide bombings in Pakistan’s city of Peshawar killed three paramilitary personnel, an attack Islamabad blamed on groups operating from Afghan soil.
Tensions between the two neighbors have been running high for months. In October, deadly clashes along the border resulted in dozens of casualties on both sides — the worst violence since the Taliban seized power in 2021. A temporary ceasefire signed in Doha offered brief relief, but follow-up talks in Turkey collapsed amid disagreements over the presence of anti-Pakistan militant groups inside Afghanistan.
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