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Pakistan's Airstrikes in Afghanistan Kill 46, Including Civilians; Taliban Vows Retaliation

Dec 25, 2024, 09:18 AM

Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province on Tuesday evening, targeting suspected hideouts of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Pakistani security officials said. The strikes, which hit multiple locations in the Barmal district near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 46 people, including women and children, according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. The TTP confirmed that around 50 of its members, mostly residents of Waziristan, were killed in the strikes. Mujahid condemned the attacks, stating that most of the victims were civilians and vowed that "the attack will not pass without a response." Pakistani officials claimed the airstrikes dismantled a TTP training facility and targeted terrorist hideouts. The incident marks a rare cross-border operation by Pakistan's military, heightening tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban administration in Kabul.