In what comes as a retaliatory measure, Afghanistan's Defence Ministry on Saturday confirmed that its forces targeted several points inside Pakistan. Earlier, on Tuesday, Pakistan launched an operation which it claimed was aimed to 'destroy a training facility and kill insurgents in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province'. The strikes saw dozen people dead, which mostly included women and children.
In a post on X, the Taliban Defence Ministry said its forces targeted points inside Pakistani that “served as centres and hideouts for malicious elements and their supporters who organised and coordinated attacks in Afghanistan.”
Moreover, Enayatullah Khwarzami, the ministry spokesman gave no further information about the strikes, including how they were carried out and if there were any casualties on either side.
Afghanistan strikes killed 19 Pakistani troops: Sources
According to a pro-Taliban media outlet, Hurriyet Daily News, ministry sources said that the strikes killed 19 Pakistani troops while three Afghan civilians died in the violence. No one from Pakistan's Foreign Ministry was immediately available for comment.
Pakistani officials have accused the Taliban of not doing enough to combat cross-border militant activity, a charge the Taliban government denies, saying it does not allow anyone to carry out attacks against any country from its soil.
Paskistani strikes targeted villages
In what can be termed a major escalation, Islamabad launched a series of airstrikes on Paktika province in Afghanistan. The strike, which took place on the night of December 24, targeted seven villages, including Laman, where five members of a family were killed, as reported by Khaama Press.
Local sources have claimed that Pakistani jets conducted the bombings. Reports indicate that the ongoing humanitarian crisis has further exacerbated in Murg Bazaar village in Barmal, which was destroyed.
Condemning the attack. the Taliban's Ministry of Defence vowed to retaliate. Taliban said that defending the land and sovereignty was their legitimate right.
(With agency inputs)
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