Pakistani airstrikes kill 15 in Afghanistan, Taliban vows retaliation

At least 15 people, including women and children, were killed in Pakistani airstrikes on seven villages in Barmal district of Afghanistan's Paktika province on Tuesday night (December 24).

The death toll is expected to rise as search and recovery efforts continue.  

Among the affected areas, Murgh Bazar village was reportedly destroyed, adding to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region. In Laman village, five members of the same family were killed. The strikes come amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over the alleged presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in Afghan territory.  

Afghanistan's Taliban government has condemned the attacks. Enayatullah Khwarazmi, spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry of Defence, stated that "several children and other civilians were martyred and wounded," denying Pakistani claims that the strikes targeted militant hideouts. He added that many of the victims were Waziristani refugees�civilians displaced by military operations in Pakistan's tribal areas.  

Pakistani authorities have yet to issue an official statement. However, military sources suggested that the strikes targeted Taliban hideouts near the border in response to escalating cross-border attacks by the TTP.  

Tensions between the two nations have intensified in recent months, with Pakistan accusing the Afghan Taliban of providing safe havens for TTP militants. This development raises fears of further instability in the already volatile region.