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Afghan Taliban Retaliate Against Pakistan, Killing 19 Soldiers After Airstrikes Kill 46 Civilians

Dec 28, 2024, 04:51 AM

The Afghan Taliban launched retaliatory strikes against Pakistan on Saturday, targeting several locations across the border in response to Pakistani airstrikes earlier in the week. The Pakistani military had conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan's Paktika province, claiming to target hideouts of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The Afghan Taliban reported that these strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 46 civilians, primarily women and children, with four mud brick buildings and an Islamic school destroyed. Residents reported pulling bodies from the rubble after the strikes. Afghanistan's Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, Noorullah Noori, condemned the attack as a 'brutal, arrogant invasion.' In retaliation, the Afghan Taliban attacked multiple points in Pakistan, with local media citing ministry sources that 19 Pakistani soldiers were killed. Pakistan's military reported that the Taliban initiated unprovoked heavy weapons fire on its border outposts, leading to a swift response that resulted in the deaths of more than 15 militants. Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch did not confirm the strikes but emphasized Pakistan's commitment to security operations based on intelligence to protect its people from terror groups like TTP. The clashes have escalated tensions between the two nations, with Pakistan accusing the Afghan Taliban of supporting TTP militants, a charge the Taliban denies. The situation remains tense along the border, with no independent verification of casualty figures from either side.