An Afghan government source said on Thursday that 9 people were killed and 7 others injured in Pakistani air strikes targeting Afghanistan’s Kunar and Helmand provinces, in the latest development in escalating clashes between the two countries. Mawlawi Sher Mohammad Wahdat, head of the Information and Culture Department in Helmand province, said Pakistani air strikes targeted 2 homes in the Garmser area of the province.
Casualties from the strikes in Helmand
He added: “According to preliminary figures, 4 people have been killed and 6 others injured so far. Most of the dead and injured are women and children.” The strikes came a week after the Afghan government announced that 4 civilians had been killed in Pakistani attacks targeting Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces.
Islamabad, meanwhile, said it had struck 10 sites used to store and launch drones against targets inside Pakistan, describing its operation as “self-defence”. Clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan intensified in late February, including Pakistani air strikes on the Afghan capital, Kabul, and Kandahar province.
The two sides reached a ceasefire in March, but subsequent mediation efforts failed to establish a lasting settlement between the neighbouring countries. Islamabad accuses the Afghan government of sheltering fighters from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and says they carry out attacks on its territory. Kabul denies the accusations and, in turn, accuses Pakistan of sheltering hostile groups and violating Afghanistan’s sovereignty.
