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At least 10 people, including children and a woman, were killed in an airstrike allegedly carried out by Pakistani forces in eastern Afghanistan, the Taliban-led interim government in Kabul claimed Tuesday.
According to Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, the strike hit a civilian home in the Gorbuz district of Khost province late Monday night, killing nine children—five boys and four girls.
"Air strikes also occurred in Kunar and Paktika, where four civilians were injured," Mujahid wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
There was no immediate comment from Pakistani authorities. The Pakistani government and military have not responded publicly to the allegations.
The airstrike comes amid rising tensions and recent deadly attacks inside Pakistan. On Monday, a suicide bombing targeted the headquarters of Pakistan’s paramilitary Federal Constabulary in Peshawar, killing three officers and wounding 11 others.
No group claimed responsibility, but Pakistani state broadcaster PTV said the attackers were Afghan nationals. President Asif Zardari blamed the assault on what he called the “foreign-backed Fitna al-Khawarij”—Islamabad’s term for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group it accuses of operating from Afghan soil.
This month, another suicide bombing in the Pakistani capital Islamabad killed 12 people. A faction of the Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility. Pakistani authorities said the attackers were guided “at every step” by leaders based in Afghanistan.
Relations between the two neighbors have steadily deteriorated since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Tensions worsened further following deadly border clashes in October that killed around 70 people on both sides.
A ceasefire was brokered with the help of Qatar and Türkiye, but follow-up negotiations in Istanbul failed to yield a lasting agreement. A key point of contention remains Islamabad’s demand that Kabul act decisively against TTP militants allegedly using Afghan territory as a safe haven.
Kabul has denied those accusations, saying instead that Pakistan harbors groups hostile to Afghanistan and fails to respect its sovereignty.
Amid the strained political and security environment, the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry this week warned of growing economic fallout. The group stated that thousands of cargo containers remain stuck at border crossings, each incurring daily fees of $150–$200, which they described as “unbearable.”
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