Pakistan launched rare airstrikes on Afghanistan targeting suspected hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban on December 24, killing at least 15 people, including women and children, and causing widespread destruction. The strikes hit seven villages, including Laman, where five family members were killed, and reports suggest the Murg Bazaar village in Barmal was destroyed, worsening the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Defence has vowed retaliation, condemning the airstrikes and asserting that defending their land is their legitimate right. They claimed that “Waziristani refugees” were among the victims. Although Pakistan has not officially confirmed the airstrikes, the attack comes amid rising tensions between the two countries, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan’s Taliban of sheltering the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants.
This attack marks the second such incident since March, when Pakistan conducted intelligence-based strikes on Taliban hideouts in Afghanistan. Following the airstrikes, Afghanistan’s defense ministry condemned Pakistan’s unilateral action, insisting that the defense of Afghan territory is an inalienable right.
The TTP, emboldened by the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, has escalated its attacks on Pakistani forces, and the recent airstrikes highlight the ongoing regional tensions.
