Arab News | Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan kill 9 civilians, Kabul says; Pakistan says only militants hit

KABUL: Pakistan carried out airstrikes in two Afghan provinces overnight, both countries said Thursday, with Afghanistan saying 9 women and children were killed and another 11 were wounded in the bombings.

Pakistan’s Information Ministry said its strikes were against militant hideouts in two locations and that “initial reports suggest” that 22 militants had been killed. The casualty claims from either side could not immediately be independently verified.

The strikes come amid repeated cross-border clashes between the two countries, while Pakistan has repeatedly carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan since tensions between the two countries spiraled dramatically earlier this year. The two countries have longstanding disputes over militant activity along the border.

The United Nations Mission in Afghanistan said last week it had documented over 1,100 civilian deaths and injuries in Afghanistan from cross-border violence so far this year. Pakistan denies striking civilians, and says it targets militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Afghanistan denies harboring militants.