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The Taliban’s Ministry of Defence has vowed to retaliate following the Pakistan airstrike on Barmal, Paktika.
The Ministry stated that defending their land and sovereignty is their legitimate right, and condemned the attack, claiming that “Waziristani refugees” were among those targeted.
While Pakistani officials have not officially confirmed the airstrike, security sources close to the military suggested that the attack was aimed at Taliban hideouts near the border.
This comes amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly regarding the presence of Pakistani militants in Afghanistan.
The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has increased its attacks on Pakistani forces in recent months, with Pakistan accusing the Afghan Taliban of providing shelter to them.
Enayatullah Khwarazmi, a spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry of Defence, denied the Pakistani claims and posted on X (formerly Twitter) that “civilian people, mostly Waziristani refugees,” had been killed in the airstrike.
Khwarazmi added that “several children and other civilians were martyred and wounded” in the attack, though no official casualty figures were provided. Sources reported that at least 15 bodies, including women and children, have been recovered, and the death count is expected to rise as search efforts continue.
The Waziristani refugees are civilians who had been displaced by military operations in Pakistan’s tribal areas. However, Pakistan maintains that many TTP commanders and fighters have fled to Afghanistan, where they are reportedly being protected by the Afghan Taliban in border provinces.
Tensions between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban have been building for some time, fuelled by the ongoing presence of TTP members in Afghanistan. While Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of harbouring them, the Taliban insists it is not collaborating with the group.
