The Taliban administration claims that Pakistani airstrikes targeting jihadists in three Afghan provinces overnight killed and wounded dozens of civilians, according to a Taliban spokesman. The report is unverified by independent sources; Pakistan has not commented.
This morning's claim from the Taliban spokesman escalates the cross-border dynamic: Pakistan's air force allegedly struck jihadist targets in three Afghan provinces, with the Taliban reporting dozens of civilian casualties. The report follows a series of incidents along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. As The Zioneer previously reported (June 10, 01:04 Jerusalem), the two sides have traded strikes in recent weeks, with Pakistan killing at least 29 militants on the border (per AP, as reported June 10, 02:16 Jerusalem). The Taliban has also claimed to have struck Islamist elements inside Pakistan (June 19, 11:07 Jerusalem). The casualty figure in this morning's report is notably higher than previous claims — the Taliban stated 13 killed in Pakistani strikes on June 10. So far, no independent confirmation of the overnight raids exists, and Pakistan has not issued a statement.
2 developments
- StrongTaliban says Pakistani airstrikes kill 13 in three Afghan provinces
- DevelopingPakistan military kills at least 29 militants on Afghan border — AP
- DevelopingTaliban says it struck Islamist elements inside Pakistan
- StrongPakistan army strikes Taliban positions on border; Taliban reportedly preparing response
Source and signal
- Internal intake