Strikes kill 28 Afghan militants, three civilians
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ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani fighter jets on Monday struck sites in eastern Afghanistan that Pakistani officials described as suspected militant hideouts. Pakistan said 28 militants were killed, while authorities in Kabul reported at least three civilian deaths.
The strikes near the countries' shared border marked a renewed escalation in tensions, raising the prospect of further cross-border hostilities. They also threatened to complicate mediation efforts by regional powers, including China.
The strikes came after Pakistan warned that it could target militants inside Afghanistan following two deadly attacks on Pakistani security forces near the border in recent days.
The United Nations Mission in Afghanistan, known by its acronym UNAMA, said in a social media post on X that it had confirmed that "at least three civilians, including a man, a woman and a girl, were killed and four injured in apparent airstrikes" in Afghanistan's Kunar province in the early hours of Monday.
UNAMA said it had documented over 1,100 civilian deaths and injuries in Afghanistan from cross-border violence so far this year.
"We reiterate our call for respect for international humanitarian law to prevent civilian casualties," it added.
Pakistan's Information Ministry said security forces conducted a planned, intelligence-driven ground operation in the northwest following a series of militant attacks in the country. The operation was followed by "calibrated airstrikes against the hideouts and safe havens of terrorist organizations responsible for these attacks."
The ministry said in a post on X that the airstrikes killed 28 militants along the Afghan border. Afghanistan's government said the strikes killed three civilians and wounded four others.