Deadly Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan claim 46 lives as Taliban vows retaliation | Top Updates

Pakistani government and military officials did not immediately respond to the airstrikes but the Taliban has vowed to avenge the attacks.

The death toll in the airstrikes conducted by Pakistan in Afghanistan's Paktika province has risen to 46, according to Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson of the Afghan Taliban.

It was the second such attack on alleged hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban since March. (Representational Image) (AFP)

While the Pakistani government and military officials did not immediately respond to the airstrikes, the Taliban has vowed to avenge the attacks.

It was the second such attack on alleged hideouts of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) since March when Pakistan said intelligence-based strikes took place in the border regions inside Afghanistan, news agency Associated Press reported.

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In a post on the X platform, the Afghanistan defence ministry led by the Taliban said the Pakistani side should know that such unilateral measures are not a solution to any problem.

Here are the top updates on Afghanistan attacks:

• At least 46 people have been killed in a bombardment by Pakistan in Paktika.
• The airstrikes, targeted multiple suspected hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban inside neighbouring Afghanistan.
• In the attacks, Pakistan dismantled a training facility and reportedly killed 45 insurgents.
• The attacks, which took place on the night of December 24, targeted seven villages, including Laman, where five members of a family were killed, Khaama Press reported.
• Some media reports indicate that the Murg Bazaar village in Barmal was destroyed.
• The Taliban's Ministry of Defence has vowed to retaliate following the Pakistani airstrike adding that defending their land and sovereignty is their legitimate right.
• The Taliban condemned the attack, claiming that "Waziristani refugees" were among those targeted.
• Pakistan's government or officials have not yet officially confirmed the airstrikes.
• It was the second such attack on alleged hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban since March.
• The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP has stepped up attacks on Pakistani soldiers and police since November 2022, when it unilaterally ended a cease-fire with the government after the failure of months of talks hosted by Afghanistan’s government in Kabul.