The Taliban government in Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of launching overnight air strikes across three eastern provinces, claiming the attacks killed 10 civilians, including nine children, and further inflamed already strained relations between the two neighbours. Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesperson for the Afghan government, said on X that Pakistan “bombed” a civilian home in Khost province, killing a woman and nine children, while additional strikes in Kunar and Paktika left four others injured. The allegation comes amid a fragile atmosphere, even as a ceasefire brokered last month technically remains in place.
Response to yet another violation of Afghanistan’s territory by Pakistani forces
The airstrikes carried out last night by Pakistani forces in Afghanistan’s Paktika, Khost, and Kunar provinces constitute a direct assault on Afghanistan’s sovereignty
1/4— Zabihullah (..Ø°Ø¨Ù€Ù€Ù€Ù€Ù€ÛŒØ Ø§Ù„Ù„Ù‡ Ù… ) (@Zabehulah_M33) November 25, 2025
Taliban Accuses Pakistan Of ‘Atrocities’
Mujahid condemned the alleged strikes as “atrocities” and “a violation of Afghan territory,” insisting that Afghanistan reserves the right to defend its airspace and citizens. In his statement on X, he said Afghanistan “considers the use of its airspace and territory and defense of its people to be its legitimate right, and at the appropriate time, it will give the necessary response.”
and a clear breach of internationally recognized norms and principles by the Pakistani authorities.
These hostile actions by Pakistani forces achieve nothing; they only prove that operations driven by flawed intelligence inflame tensions
2/4— Zabihullah (..Ø°Ø¨Ù€Ù€Ù€Ù€Ù€ÛŒØ Ø§Ù„Ù„Ù‡ Ù… ) (@Zabehulah_M33) November 25, 2025
Pakistan’s government and military have not issued an immediate response to the allegation, which surfaces just weeks after Kabul claimed Pakistani drone strikes hit the Afghan capital, triggering cross-border clashes.
Despite the new accusations, the ceasefire mediated by Qatar and Turkey in October was reportedly still holding on Tuesday. Neither Qatar nor Turkey commented immediately on the latest developments.
Iran has also attempted to position itself as a diplomatic intermediary. Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said he met Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Islamabad on Tuesday, during a previously scheduled visit. Dar’s office is expected to release a statement regarding the meeting.
Families In Khost Search Through Rubble
In Khost, local residents sifted through the remains of the house that was struck, recovering personal belongings from the wreckage.
“You see the cruelty with your own eyes, that young children, a woman and nine children, were martyred,” said Muhammad Iqbal, who identified the victims as his cousin’s family.
Local tribal leader Mer Adam Khan said the attack appeared to have been carried out by a drone flying over the area around midnight. “It is not known where it came from and by whom,” he added, stating that the home belonged to a local man named Shariat Khan.
“He has not interfered in any government. He lives a poor life here,” Khan said.
