Pakistan carried out air strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan that it says were used to store and launch drones, while the Taliban says four civilians were killed and has vowed to respond.
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Key facts
- Pakistan said it carried out air strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan.
- Islamabad said the targets were used to store and launch drones.
- The Taliban says four civilians were killed in the strikes.
- Afghanistan has vowed to respond to the strikes.
Afghanistan has vowed to respond after Pakistani air strikes killed four civilians, according to the country’s Taliban authorities, in the latest escalation of tensions between the two neighbours.
Pakistan said it carried out air strikes on 10 locations inside Afghanistan, describing them as sites used to store and launch drones. Islamabad said the strikes were “strictly limited to identified military objectives”, according to the BBC.
The Taliban reported that four civilians were killed in the strikes, as confirmed in reporting by Al Jazeera and the BBC. Afghanistan’s authorities said they would respond, though the sources did not specify what form that response might take.
Pakistan framed the operation as targeting drone infrastructure, saying it hit locations used to store and launch drones. The strikes appear to have followed drone activity, with Al Jazeera reporting that Pakistan launched the strikes after drone attacks.
The competing accounts underline the gap between the two sides: Pakistan says its action was limited to military targets, while the Taliban says the casualties were civilians. The full details of the locations struck and the circumstances of the deaths were not provided in the available reporting.
Why it matters
Cross-border strikes between Pakistan and Afghanistan risk further inflaming an already tense relationship between the two neighbours. Civilian deaths and a vow to respond raise the prospect of continued escalation in the region.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were killed in the strikes?
The Taliban says four civilians were killed in the Pakistani air strikes, according to reporting by Al Jazeera and the BBC.
What did Pakistan say it targeted?
Pakistan said it carried out air strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan used to store and launch drones, adding that the strikes were strictly limited to identified military objectives.
How has Afghanistan responded?
Afghanistan's Taliban authorities have vowed to respond to the strikes, though the sources do not specify what action they will take.
Timeline
- Four civilians killed in Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan, Taliban says
BBC World: Pakistan says it struck 10 targets, adding the strikes were "strictly limited to identified military objectives".
- Four civilians killed in Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan
Al Jazeera: Four civilians have been killed in the latest Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan.
- Afghanistan vows to respond after Pakistani air strikes kill four
Al Jazeera: Pakistan said it carried out air strikes on 10 locations in Afghanistan used to store and launch drones.