Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory struck three residential buildings, resulting in the deaths of nine people, including women and children, according to the Afghan Taliban government. The strikes occurred in Kunar and Helmand provinces, areas along the often-contested border between the two countries. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the attacks as an act of aggression and a violation of international norms, reporting that 11 others were injured.

Pakistan’s Information Ministry countered these claims, stating the airstrikes were carried out based on credible intelligence targeting terrorist hideouts at two locations. The ministry said the operations destroyed the intended targets with precision, killing 22 militants and destroying large quantities of weapons and ammunition stored at these sites. The veracity of these statements could not be independently confirmed.

This incident marks a resurgence in cross-border hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan following a period of relative calm lasting about three months. Tensions flared after a militant attack on a police facility in northwestern Pakistan last month, which caused 24 fatalities. Pakistan has consistently accused the Afghan Taliban government of providing sanctuary to militants who launch attacks across the border, a charge denied by the Taliban, which maintains that militancy is Pakistan’s internal issue.

The renewed violence underscores the fragile security situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and highlights ongoing disputes over militancy management in the region. The latest airstrikes deepen the animosity between the two governments, which have experienced fluctuating relations since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.