Pakistan says it carried out air strikes on armed-group targets in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province, killing 22 fighters and destroying weapons and ammunition storage facilities. Afghanistan’s government says civilian homes were hit, killing nine women and children and injuring 11 others. The strikes come amid a rise in cross-border violence, with Pakistan accusing armed groups based in Afghanistan of carrying out attacks on its territory. The targets reportedly included fighters from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which Islamabad blames for attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Violence has increased since a brief ceasefire between the TTP and Pakistani government broke down in November 2022, with Afghanistan’s government acting as mediator. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan government of allowing sanctuaries for the TTP and other armed groups, including al-Qaeda, ISIL’s Khorasan Province and the BLA, allegations Kabul denies.
Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder reports from Islamabad.
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