At least 18 civilians, including 11 children, were killed in a Pakistani airstrike on a farmer’s home in the Behsood district of Nangarhar Province in eastern Afghanistan, Taliban authorities reported. Six of the victims were women and men.
The strike reportedly destroyed the house completely, and rescue teams are working to recover bodies trapped under the rubble. Five others were wounded and transferred to Nangarhar Regional Hospital, where their condition is described as stable.
The Taliban government condemned the attack as a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty. In a statement, the Ministry of National Defense warned that it would take an “appropriate and measured response” at a suitable time. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid also said in a post on X that the strikes targeted civilians in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, killing and wounding dozens of people, including women and children.
There has been no immediate response from Pakistani authorities regarding the reported civilian casualties.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the strikes were conducted in response to recent suicide bombings inside Pakistan. The ministry stated that it had “conclusive evidence” that the attacks were carried out by militants based in Afghanistan and described the operation as an intelligence-based, targeted action against alleged militant hideouts along the border.
