Afghanistan reports three fatalities from Pakistani air strikes

Three individuals from the same family were killed in an air attack on a house in Kunar province, according to Afghan officials. The Kunar provincial spokesperson, Farid Dehqan, reported that the air strike occurred in the Nurgal district at approximately 4am local time on Monday (23:30 GMT Sunday), resulting in three deaths and four injuries. Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat confirmed the incident in a post on X, stating that at least one house was struck. In addition, he mentioned that in the Barmal district of Paktika province, two locations were bombed, destroying one shop and one unoccupied house, but no casualties were reported from that attack. There has been no immediate response from Pakistan regarding these air strikes, which could heighten tensions between the two countries following a period of relative calm lasting nearly three months. Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been strained since February, when significant clashes occurred. The ongoing dispute primarily revolves around accusations from Islamabad that Kabul is harboring armed groups responsible for cross-border violence. The Taliban government in Afghanistan denies these accusations, asserting that the violence is an internal issue for Pakistan. The air strikes on Monday followed a recent bombing attack claimed by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban on a mosque at a police facility in Kohat, Pakistan, which resulted in at least 21 fatalities, predominantly among police officers. In response to the violence, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information issued a warning that the country might target fighters within Afghanistan.