Forty-six people have been killed in Pakistani airstrikes in Paktika province in the east of the country near the Afghan-Pakistani border, according to Zabihullah Mujahid, the official spokesman for the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan.
“Last night (Tuesday), the Pakistanis launched strikes on the Barmal district in Paktika province. The total number of victims is 46 [people], most of whom are women and children,” he told Agence France-Presse. Six people were also injured, Mujahid added.
On December 24, the Taliban’s Defense Ministry reported that Pakistani forces had launched strikes on a district in Paktika province. The ministry condemned the Pakistani actions, stressing that they violate international norms and “are not a solution to any problem.” The Defense Ministry also assured that the incident “will not go unanswered.”