Afghanistan confirms Pakistani airstrikes on border areas

KABUL -- Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Afghan government, confirmed on X on Sunday that the Pakistani military had once again carried out airstrikes on border areas between Afghanistan and Pakistan, causing dozens of casualties.

Mujahid said that the Pakistani military bombed civilian areas in Nangarhar province and Paktika province, causing dozens of casualties, including women and children.

In a statement, Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense strongly condemned what it called a blatant violation and criminal act against Afghan territory, saying it clearly violated international law and the principles of good-neighborliness.

The statement said Pakistan attacked Afghan civilian targets and religious sites and that the Afghan side would make an appropriate and carefully considered response at an appropriate time.

Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said early Sunday morning that Pakistan had carried out intelligence-based, targeted strikes on seven militant camps along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border following a series of suicide bombings.

The ministry said in a statement that responsibility for the attacks had been claimed by factions of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan as well as by the Islamic State Khorasan Province.

Since October last year, clashes have occurred repeatedly in the border areas between Afghanistan and Pakistan. On Oct 19 last year, under mediation by Qatar and Türkiye, the two sides agreed to a ceasefire.

Subsequently, several rounds of talks were held in Doha, Istanbul, and Riyadh to ensure the sustainability of the ceasefire, but no results were achieved.