Pakistan Air Strikes Kill 18 Afghan Villagers

Afghan villagers gathered Sunday around a mass grave to bury at least 18 people killed in overnight air strikes by Pakistan, which said its military targeted militants along the border.

The attacks, the deadliest since border clashes in October, left dozens dead and hundreds wounded on both sides of the frontier during previous confrontations.

“The house was completely destroyed. My children and family members were there. My father and my sons were there. All of them were killed,” said Nezakat, a 35-year-old farmer from Bihsud district who spoke using only one name.

Pakistan’s military said it struck seven locations in the border region to target Afghanistan-based militant groups, in retaliation for recent suicide bombings in Pakistan. The operation focused on the Pakistani Taliban, its affiliates, and an Islamic State-linked group, according to a statement from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the attacks, saying: “People’s homes have been destroyed, they have targeted civilians, they have committed this criminal act.” The bombardment affected residents in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces.

The incident escalates tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, highlighting ongoing security challenges in the region.