Pakistan, Afghanistan accuse each other of targeting civilians amid ongoing conflict
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Afghan authorities on Monday accused each other of targeting civilians along their shared border amid fierce fighting between both sides since last month.
The accusations come amid escalating cross-border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan that began late last month and have involved artillery exchanges, drone attacks and air strikes along their rugged frontier. The fighting erupted after Afghan forces targeted Pakistani border posts on Feb. 26, which Islamabad said was in response to earlier Pakistani strikes on militant camps inside Afghanistan.
Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of harboring militant groups, particularly the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), that launch attacks across the border, a charge Kabul denies. The latest violence has raised regional concerns, with countries including China urging both sides to de-escalate and resolve tensions through dialogue.
On Monday, the Pakistani information ministry said Afghan Taliban forces attacked a civilian area in the Salarzai region of Bajaur district in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday afternoon.
