New Border Attack: Pakistan and Taliban Trade Accusations

Pakistan launched airstrikes and deployed ground troops in areas bordering Afghanistan on Sunday. The incident resulted in dozens of deaths and further escalated tensions between the two countries.

The Taliban government of Afghanistan reported that as a result of the attacks, at least 36 civilians, including women and children, were killed, and more than 160 people were injured. Kabul described the attack as a "cowardly act" and a "crime and brutality."

Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that the strikes targeted facilities where militants were hiding. He noted that during the operation, 29 militants were eliminated. According to officials, these attacks were a response to recent terrorist attacks against civilians in Pakistan.

Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of providing shelter to terrorist groups organizing attacks from across the border. The Taliban government denies these claims. Kabul, in turn, accuses Pakistan of unjustified attacks on civilian residential areas.

According to the Afghan government, the strikes hit civilian homes, while Pakistan stated they targeted militant hideouts in the provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar. The highest number of casualties was recorded in the village of Mandokhel in Paktika province.

One day before the attacks, a terrorist attack on the Sindh Rangers headquarters in Karachi killed three military personnel. Additionally, three militants were killed and another suspect was arrested. Responsibility was claimed by the group "Jamaat-ul-Ahror," considered a splinter wing of the TTP.

Clashes on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border have become frequent in recent months. Armed conflicts in February resulted in dozens of deaths. In early June, Pakistan reported 26 militants killed in airstrikes, while the Afghan side stated 13 people, mostly children, died in those attacks.