Pakistan launches air strikes in Afghanistan, killing civilians, Taliban says

Pakistan launched air strikes on 10 sites in Afghanistan, according to Islamabad. The strikes were in response to a drone attack by Afghanistan's Taliban forces on a border post, Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said. Tarar described the strikes as "deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate", targeting identified military objectives linked to the attempted attacks.

The Taliban government spokesman denied Pakistan's allegation, and according to France 24, said the strikes killed four civilians in Afghanistan's southern and eastern provinces. Pakistan's air defence systems had detected, tracked and neutralised drones launched from Afghan territory before they could reach their intended targets, Tarar added.

The incident has escalated tensions between the two countries, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan of harbouring militants who stage cross-border attacks, a claim denied by the Taliban government. The airstrikes were conducted in several areas, including the southeastern Khost province, according to the Khost governor's spokesperson.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, Business Recorder, Daily Times, Jerusalem Post — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.