Pakistani strikes in three eastern provinces of Afghanistan killed 36 civilians and wounded 163, the Taliban government's deputy spokesperson has said.
"The attacks carried out last night resulted in the martyrdom of 36 civilians, including women and children, while 163 others sustained injuries," Hamdullah Fitrat posted on his X account on Monday.
Earlier, Pakistan said it has carried out air strikes and ground operations targeting terrorist hideouts in eastern Afghanistan, adding the operation killed 29 terrorists in response to a series of deadly attacks inside Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said, "three targets in Paktia, Paktika and Kunar were destroyed during precision strikes", referring to three eastern Afghan provinces.
Pakistan’s Minister Tarar said the operation targeted Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a terror group often linked to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
According to Tarar, the strikes formed part of a wider operation that also included intelligence-based ground operations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Tarar added that the overnight offensive was launched in response to an attack that killed three paramilitary troops in the southern city of Karachi on Saturday, as well as recent violence in Pakistan's border provinces.
Border operations
According to the Associated Press, citing officials, Pakistan's security forces carried out an intelligence-based ground operation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Sunday, followed by "calibrated strikes" on terrorist hideouts, killing 29 terrorists.
Pakistan carried out a series of air strikes in Afghanistan in recent months, including one earlier this month.
The border between the neighbouring countries has remained largely closed since violence escalated in October, freezing bilateral trade.
