Overview
- Afghan Taliban officials said the strikes hit Khost, Kunar and Paktika provinces and killed at least 13 people including 11 children while Pakistan confirmed the operation and said 26 militants were killed.
- The two sides offer sharply different casualty counts and independent verification is limited, leaving the number of civilian deaths disputed.
- Pakistan’s information minister described the raids as “precise and calibrated” and said they destroyed a training centre, a hideout and an ammunition cache linked to TTP commanders.
- The strikes followed a militant attack on a Frontier Constabulary post that killed six personnel, a trigger that Islamabad cited as justification for cross‑border action.
- Months of fighting have already caused hundreds of deaths and a UN report documented heavy civilian tolls earlier this year, while China-led talks bought only brief pauses and international actors are urging de‑escalation.