Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani airstrikes in Kunar and Helmand provinces killed nine civilians and wounded 11 others. He said women and children were among the victims and that three homes were destroyed.
Reuters reported the Afghan government account and said it could not independently verify the casualty figures. Mujahid condemned the strikes and described them as an act of aggression.
Associated Press later reported that Pakistan’s Information Ministry said the strikes targeted militant hideouts at two locations. Pakistani authorities said initial reports indicated that 22 militants had been killed and maintained that the operation was not directed at civilians.
Neither the Afghan claim of nine civilian deaths nor Pakistan’s claim that 22 militants were killed has been independently verified. The casualty figures are therefore being reported as claims by the respective governments rather than established totals.
The strikes come amid renewed tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of allowing armed groups to operate from Afghan territory and carry out attacks in Pakistan, while the Afghan government denies providing such safe havens.