Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government has publicly condemned what it says were Pakistani overnight airstrikes that killed nine children (five boys and four girls) and a woman, vowing to respond appropriately at the right time in a stark escalation of already tense cross-border relations. 

According to Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, the strikes targeted civilian homes in the Gurbuz district of Khost province around midnight, destroying the house of a local man named Waliat Khan. Al Jazeera reported that he described the attack as a gross violation of Afghan sovereignty, and said additional strikes in Kunar and Paktika wounded at least four more civilians. 

Mujahid’s post on social media went further, stating that defending Afghan airspace and territory is a legitimate right for his government and warned that retaliation would come at an appropriate moment.

Pakistan, however, has dismissed the allegations. A spokesman for the country’s military said there were “no recent airstrikes” inside Afghan territory, denying any such operations occurred, as reported on Times Union. 

The strikes come after a fragile truce recently brokered by Qatar and Turkey, following a spike in border clashes in October.  Kabul asserts that militants hostile to Pakistan operate from Afghan soil, a claim Islamabad strongly rejects. 

The timing is politically charged. Just  a day before the alleged raids, suicide bombers struck in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing three paramilitary officers.  Observers warn that unless de-escalated quickly, the incident could reignite a cycle of retaliation, threatening regional stability.