Pakistan’s strikes on neighbouring Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of at least ten individuals, including nine children, according to a spokesperson for the Taliban government, on Tuesday, following a suicide attack on a security compound in Peshawar, Pakistan.
“Pakistani invading forces bombed the residence of a local civilian, resulting in the martyrdom of nine children (five boys and four girls) and one woman,” stated spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on X.
Air strikes aimed at the border regions of Kunar and Paktika injured an additional four civilians, he stated.
Officials from the Pakistani government and military have refrained from commenting on the raids.
The bombardment ensued after a suicide assault on the headquarters of Pakistan’s paramilitary Federal Constabulary in Peshawar, resulting in the deaths of three officers and injuries to 11 more.
No group has assumed responsibility; however, state broadcaster PTV indicated that the assailants were Afghan nationals. President Asif Zardari attributed the attack to the “foreign-backed Fitna al-Khawarij,” a term used by Islamabad to refer to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, whom it alleges operate from Afghan territory.
This month, another suicide bombing in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, resulted in 12 fatalities and was attributed to a faction of the Pakistan Taliban, which espouses the same ideology as the Afghan Taliban.
Islamabad attributed the capital attack to a militant cell that was “directed at every stage by the… high command located in Afghanistan.”
Ceasefire under pressure
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated since the Taliban regained control in 2021, exacerbated by lethal border confrontations in October that resulted in approximately 70 fatalities on both sides.
The conflict concluded with a ceasefire facilitated by Qatar and Turkey; however, negotiations in Istanbul did not yield a sustainable agreement, as security concerns, particularly Pakistan’s insistence that Kabul restrain TTP militants, emerged as a significant obstacle.
Islamabad alleges that the Taliban harbours militants responsible for an increase in assaults, including the TTP, which has conducted a violent campaign against Pakistan for years.
Kabul refutes the allegation and asserts that Pakistan shelters factions antagonistic to Afghanistan and fails to honour its sovereignty.
This week, the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry cautioned that thousands of containers are stranded at the border, accruing daily fees of USD 150-200, deeming the economic strain “intolerable”.
