In a major escalation, Pakistan conducted a series of airstrikes on the Barmal district of Paktika province in Afghanistan which resulted in the death of at least 15 people, including women and children, with the toll expected to rise.
The strike was conducted on the night of December 24 and targeted seven villages, including Laman, where five members of a family were killed, as reported by Khaama Press. Local sources have claimed that Pakistani jets conducted the bombings. Reports indicate that the ongoing humanitarian crisis has further exacerbated in Murg Bazaar village in Barmal, which was destroyed.
The airstrikes caused severe civilian casualties and widespread destruction, further escalating tensions in the region. The recovery efforts were initiated soon after the strike. While Pakistan has not confirmed the strikes, the sources close to the military said that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts were the primary target.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Defence vowed to retaliate following the airstrike on Barmal, Paktika. Taliban stated that defending the land and sovereignty was their legitimate right, and condemned the attack. It also claimed that “Waziristani refugees” were among those targeted. 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.
