Afghanistan's Defense Ministry announced on Saturday that its forces launched strikes inside Pakistan in response to deadly airstrikes conducted by Pakistan the previous week. The Pakistani operation targeted a training facility and insurgents in Afghanistan's Paktika province, resulting in the deaths of numerous civilians, including women and children.
The Taliban Defense Ministry stated that its forces targeted Pakistani locations that harbored individuals involved in organizing attacks in Afghanistan. However, specific details about the retaliatory strikes, such as the method of execution and casualties, were not disclosed by the Ministry spokesperson.
According to reports from a pro-Taliban media outlet, the strikes allegedly resulted in the deaths of 19 Pakistani troops and three Afghan civilians. Pakistani authorities have not yet provided any official comments on the incident.
In response to the retaliation, residents of Afghanistan's Khost province expressed their support for the Afghan military and condemned Pakistan's actions. Thousands of individuals gathered to demonstrate solidarity and denounce the cross-border aggression.
Pakistani officials have accused the Taliban of failing to address militant activities crossing the border, a claim refuted by the Taliban government, which asserts that it does not permit attacks against any country from Afghan soil.
