9 Children, 1 Woman Killed After Pakistan Strikes Hit Eastern Afghanistan

The Taliban government in Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of launching overnight air strikes across three eastern provinces, claiming the attacks killed 10 civilians, including nine children, and further inflamed already strained relations between the two neighbours.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesperson for the Afghan government, said on X that Pakistan “bombed” a civilian home in Khost province, killing a woman and nine children, while additional strikes in Kunar and Paktika left four others injured. The allegation comes amid a fragile atmosphere, even as a ceasefire brokered last month technically remains in place.

Mujahid condemned the alleged strikes as “atrocities” and “a violation of Afghan territory,” insisting that Afghanistan reserves the right to defend its airspace and citizens. In his statement on X, he said Afghanistan “considers the use of its airspace and territory and defense of its people to be its legitimate right, and at the appropriate time, it will give the necessary response.”