Afghanistan Accuses Pakistan Of Targeting Civilians After 6 Killed In Airstrikes

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities accused Pakistan connected Friday of targeting homes successful overnight airstrikes connected Kabul and different areas of nan country, saying astatine slightest six civilians were killed and much than a twelve others were injured.

Pakistan denied targeting civilians, arsenic fighting betwixt nan neighbors entered its 3rd week.

Afghan authorities spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani craft besides struck substance depots belonging to nan backstage hose Kam Air adjacent nan airdrome successful Kandahar, successful confederate Afghanistan. “This institution supplies substance to civilian airlines arsenic good arsenic to United Nations aircraft,” he said connected a station connected X.

Pakistan’s subject carried retired “successful airstrikes wrong Afghanistan” arsenic portion of nan ongoing operation, according to nan Information Ministry. It said nan strikes targeted 4 alleged militant hideouts and their support infrastructure successful Afghanistan. The ministry said Pakistan did not target immoderate civilian population.

On Friday, a roadside explosive targeting a constabulary conveyance killed six officers successful Lakki Marwat, a territory successful northwest Pakistan, constabulary charismatic Sajjad Khan said. No 1 claimed responsibility, but suspicion is apt to autumn connected nan outlawed Pakistani Taliban, besides known arsenic Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, aliases TTP, which often declare specified attacks.

The developments travel amid a melodramatic summation successful tensions betwixt nan 2 countries — which Pakistan has referred to arsenic “open war” — adding to concerns astir nan stableness successful nan region arsenic nan U.S.-Israeli warfare against Iran continues pinch nary extremity successful sight, generating awesome uncertainty.

Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said it responded to Pakistan’s attacks by targeting Pakistani subject installations successful nan Kohat district, causing dense losses.

In a station connected X, Khalil Hamraz, a spokesperson for Afghanistan’s General Directorate of Intelligence, said 2 drones were utilized to onslaught a subject installation adjacent Islamabad. But Pakistani constabulary said 2 rudimentary drones were spotted successful nan area and brought down utilizing physics measures and that nan drones caused nary damage.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information besides said that nan TTP attempted to deploy 3 rudimentary drones successful Kohat, but that Pakistani forces changeable them down. Two civilians were injured by falling debris, it said.

Mujahid claimed Pakistani strikes deed aggregate civilian sites and uninhabited locations successful Afghanistan’s Paktia and Paktika provinces, arsenic good arsenic different areas. He said nan attacks “will not spell unanswered.”

Kabul constabulary spokesperson Khalid Zadran said astatine slightest 4 civilians, including children, were killed successful nan metropolis and 15 others were injured.

Afghanistan’s Department of Information and Culture successful Nangarhar state said a Pakistani mortar ammunition killed a female and a child.

The full number of casualties astir Afghanistan was unclear.

Pakistan and Afghanistan person been targeting each other’s subject installations since precocious February, erstwhile Kabul said it struck Pakistani posts successful consequence to Pakistani attacks on nan border. Pakistan’s subject has said its operations targeted nan TTP and its support networks on nan border.

The ongoing conflict is rooted successful Pakistan’s belief that Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities is harboring militant groups that shape attacks against it and besides of allying pinch its archrival, India. The Taliban denies harboring militant groups.

Both sides declare to person inflicted dense losses successful what has go nan deadliest fighting successful years.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar connected Friday said nan subject has killed 663 Afghan Taliban since nan fighting began. There was nary contiguous remark from Kabul.

On Thursday, China’s typical envoy Yue Xiaoyong arrived successful Islamabad for talks pinch his Pakistani counterpart, Mohammad Sadiq, pursuing a sojourn to Kabul.

Sadiq, Pakistan’s typical envoy for Afghanistan, said he and Yue “discussed threats posed by violent groups” and agreed connected nan request for corporate efforts to guarantee lasting bid and stability.

Repeated world organization calls for restraint person had small effect. Pakistan has antecedently said its strikes on nan separator and wrong Afghanistan are aimed solely astatine Khawarij, a building Islamabad uses for nan TTP.

Since nan Afghan Taliban returned to powerfulness successful 2021, nan TTP has intensified attacks wrong Pakistan and on nan border. Islamabad says its subject operations will proceed until Kabul takes verifiable steps to curb nan TTP and different militants operating from its territory.

A Qatari-mediated ceasefire ended nan aggravated fighting successful October, but respective rounds of bid talks successful Turkey successful November grounded to nutrient a lasting agreement.

Afghan and Ahmed constitute for nan Associated Press. Ahmed reported from Islamabad. AP writers Riaz Khan and Rasool Dawar successful Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this report.