Cross-border airstrikes reported between Pakistan and Afghanistan

Pakistan conducted airstrikes in the Afghan provinces of Kunar, Khost, and Paktika on June 10, claiming the operation targeted militants linked to the Pakistani Taliban. Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that the strikes were precise, destroying four targets including a training center, a hideout, and a munitions depot, resulting in 26 militant deaths. Conversely, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid reported that the airstrikes violated Afghan airspace and hit civilian homes. According to the Taliban, the attacks killed 13 civilians, including 11 children, one woman, and one elderly man, with 14 others injured. Pakistan defended the actions as a response to a significant surge in armed attacks in its northwestern region. Islamabad has long accused Kabul of harboring militants, a charge the Taliban denies. Data from ACLED indicates that armed violence in Pakistan has quadrupled since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2022.