Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions escalate after deadly strikes kill three in Kunar

Pakistan allegedly carried out airstrikes on civilian homes in two eastern Afghan provinces early on Monday, killing three members of the same family and injuring four others, according to Afghanistan's Taliban government. Taliban government deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said an attack around 3:00 am on Monday in Nurgal district of Kunar province ‘completely destroyed’ a house, leaving three people dead and four others wounded.

Kunar police spokesman Farid Dehqan told AFP that ‘Pakistani jets carried out’ the strike. Fitrat also said two locations in Paktika province were bombarded. The attacks reportedly destroyed a shop and an unoccupied house but caused no casualties. Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned what he described as "aggression" and said that "Afghans will give it an appropriate response". The reported strikes came days after an explosive and gun attack on a police headquarters in northern Pakistan on Friday left at least 31 people dead, including 16 police officers.

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The local group Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, described as a faction linked to the jihadist group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of allowing militant groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan to operate from Afghan territory. The Taliban government has denied the allegations.

The latest reported strikes also come amid a history of cross-border tensions between the two countries. Pakistan's previous deadly airstrikes in Afghanistan took place in June, when around 30 people were reportedly killed in Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces. Pakistan said those strikes targeted a TTP faction and killed fighters, while the Taliban government reported civilian casualties. Relations between the neighbouring countries have deteriorated significantly since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Earlier this year, Pakistan intensified its bombing campaign, including strikes in Kabul. The deadliest reported attack struck a drug addiction hospital in the Afghan capital on March 16, with the United Nations reporting at least 269 civilian deaths. The latest alleged strikes are likely to further intensify tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, as both sides continue to trade accusations over militant activity and cross-border attacks.