Pakistan's airstrikes killed 28 civilians Sunday; Taliban responded with drone strikes on Pakistani territory, raising regional tensions.
1:09 AM
Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have reignited following a cycle of military strikes that broke months of relative peace in the region.
Pakistan's military launched airstrikes on the eastern Afghan provinces of Paktya, Paktika and Konar on the night of June 29. According to the United Nations, the strikes killed 28 people, including minors, and injured approximately 50 others. Pakistan's military said the operation targeted positions of groups affiliated with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, citing recent attacks in Karachi and security incidents in border areas.
In response, Afghanistan's Taliban regime carried out drone strikes targeting locations along the border with Pakistan. Afghan sources said the strikes targeted Islamic State Khorasan positions within Pakistani territory. Pakistan's military reported shooting down four rudimentary drones and warned that any further provocation "would receive a befitting response." Several people were reportedly injured in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province from the Afghan strikes, though the BBC was unable to independently confirm the attack.
The two countries had agreed to a ceasefire in October following weeks of deadly clashes. Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of harboring terrorists who carry out attacks on its soil, a claim the Taliban government rejects. Afghanistan has in turn accused Pakistan of military operations on its territory.
Russia's Foreign Ministry expressed concern about the military confrontation, stating that Moscow is troubled by the ongoing conflict, which it said primarily affects civilians. The ministry called on both Islamabad and Kabul to end the armed conflict and resolve disputed issues through political and diplomatic means.
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