Taliban Confirms Civilian Casualties in Recent Pakistani Air Raids

Taliban spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat confirmed on Monday that Pakistani jet aircraft carried out a series of air strikes in Afghanistan's Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces, resulting in significant civilian loss. The official said at least 36 civilians, including women and children, were killed and 163 others sustained injuries.

Fitrat described the attacks as targeting residential neighborhoods. In the Paktika district of Gayan, a bomb hit a house in Mandokhel village, killing an elderly man and a child while injuring several family members. A second wave of bombing, he claimed, struck when locals gathered for rescue, causing 28 more deaths and 158 additional injuries.

Further incidents were reported in the Walust village of Gayan district, where six people—predominantly women and children—lost their lives, and in Barolo village of Mano Gai district, where a home was hit, causing extensive material loss.

The Taliban condemned the strikes as "cowardly aggression" and called for immediate accountability from Pakistan.