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Amid escalating hostile cross-border actions between the two South Asian neighbours, recent Pakistani airstrikes have killed nine people and injured eleven others on Thursday across Afghan territory, according to the Afghan government.
The destructive bombardment targeted residential areas, obliterating three houses situated within Kunar and Helmand provinces, Afghan government chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed in a statement shared on the social media platform X. Confirming the mounting civilian casualties resulting from the military aggression, the chief spokesperson stated that at least nine people were killed, including women and children. Strongly denouncing the unjustified military assault, Mujahid asserted, We condemn this act as an aggression and crime in violation of all accepted principles. The deadly strikes form part of a pattern of hostile military actions by Pakistan, which has repeatedly carried out unauthorised airstrikes inside sovereign Afghan territory as bilateral tensions escalated dramatically earlier this year amid longstanding border disputes. Exposing the severe humanitarian toll of Islamabad's military campaigns, the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan reported last week that it had documented over 1,100 civilian casualties resulting from cross-border violence so far this year. While Pakistan routinely attempts to deflect international criticism by denying civilian casualties and claiming to target militants, Kabul maintains its firm stance, rejecting baseless allegations of harbouring militant groups. Islamabad has continually accused the Afghan government of allowing factions such as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan to operate from Afghan soil, allegations that Kabul has categorically dismissed as unfounded and part of Pakistan's attempts to shift blame for its own internal security failures. (ANI)
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