UN urges probe into 'deadly' Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan

The United Nations on Thursday called for an investigation into Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan that reportedly killed dozens of civilians, while Pakistan's foreign ministry avoided confirming the attacks, instead framing its border operations as intelligence-based actions against terrorist threats.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it had "received credible reports that dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed in airstrikes by Pakistan's military forces in Paktika province, Afghanistan, on 24 December."

The agency emphasized that "international law obliges military forces to take necessary precautions to prevent civilian harm" and called for "an investigation to ensure accountability." The Taliban government says 46 people were killed in the strikes.

Foreign office dodges questions

Pakistan's Foreign Office, earlier today, avoided confirming alleged airstrikes in Afghanistan, instead framing its border security operations as intelligence-based actions against terrorist threats while emphasizing continued diplomatic engagement with Kabul.

"Pakistan will not comment on social media posts or information that comes from terror groups," Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told reporters at her weekly briefing in Islamabad. She added that Pakistan remains "fully committed to its international human rights obligations."

The careful response came as tensions escalated between Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taliban rulers following Tuesday's reported strikes in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province, which the Taliban say killed mostly women and children.

The spokesperson's comments marked Pakistan's first official response since Afghan officials accused Pakistani forces of conducting deadly airstrikes on civilian areas, including refugee settlements. The Taliban government has warned of retaliation for what it called a "brutal act" and violation of international law.

Afghan victims allegedly injured in a Pakistani air strike, receive medical treatment at a hospital in Sharan, capital of Paktika province on December 25, 2024, a day after the attack.AFP

"Pakistan is committed to the security of its people," Baloch said, speaking broadly about security operations in border areas. She said such operations are conducted "based on authentic and concrete intelligence" about threats from the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, which she described as "a collective threat to regional peace and security."

The TTP, though sharing ideological ties with the Afghan Taliban, is a separate militant group that has been fighting Pakistani forces for years, seeking to impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law in Pakistan.

Despite the rising tensions, Baloch emphasized ongoing diplomatic engagement, noting that Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq Khan, remains in Kabul for high-level talks that began Tuesday. These discussions with senior Taliban officials, including Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, and Deputy Prime Minister Maulavi Abdul Kabir, have covered security concerns, border management, and trade relations.

"We have always focused on dialogue and diplomacy," Baloch said, stressing Pakistan's respect for Afghan sovereignty while also pointing to what she described as an ongoing challenge of "cross-border terrorists' safe havens."

"We hope that Afghanistan will prevent the use of its territory for any terror attacks against Pakistan," she added.

The airstrikes

The balancing act in Thursday's statement reflects the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taliban government. While Pakistan was among the Taliban's few international allies during their first rule in the 1990s, relations have grown increasingly strained since the group retook power in 2021.

Tuesday's airstrikes targeted the Barmal district of Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province, according to Afghan officials. "The brutal attack claimed the lives of 46 civilians, primarily women and children, while dozens more were injured," Taliban deputy spokesman Mullah Hamdullah Fitrat told Nuktaon Thursday.

"Afghanistan condemns this act as a violation of all international principles, and Pakistan should understand that such action is not a solution to any problem, otherwise, Afghanistan considers the defense of its soil and territory to be the right," he said.

A senior Pakistani security official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the operation used "a mix of jets and drones" to target "terrorist hideouts" across the border.

This marks the second major cross-border operation by Pakistan this year. In March, Pakistan's Foreign Office acknowledged conducting "intelligence-based counterterrorism operations" in Afghanistan that Kabul said killed eight people.

Experts weigh in

Senior Afghan journalist Sami Yousafzai called the airstrikes "a very dangerous development" that could derail recent progress in Pakistan-Taliban relations.

"There's no doubt that some TTP elements are in Afghanistan, but this doesn't mean that Pakistan's TTP problem is entirely linked to Afghanistan," he said. "The TTP's presence in Afghanistan is just a small part of the whole problem, not the entire problem. Obviously, its roots are inside Pakistan."

Acknowledging that while Pakistan may continue such strikes to address domestic pressure over TTP attacks, Yousafzai warned this approach could backfire. "This won't solve the problem, won't eliminate TTP, and in the recent attacks, no major TTP figure or leader was killed," he said. "This will greatly increase hatred between people on both sides, and if hatred increases with Afghans, in my opinion, this doesn't suit Pakistan and absolutely doesn't suit Afghanistan."

Pakistani defense analyst Qamar Cheema said the Taliban's use of TTP as "an instrument" complicates the situation. "Afghan Taliban believe that if they pressurize TTP, then they might be connected with Al Qaeda or IS," he said, referring to the Islamic State group.

On the other hand, he remarks "the TTP wants to establish an emirate in Pakistan which Pakistan will never allow," emphasizing that the TTP's belligerent stance towards Pakistan will continue to force its military to take actions against them.

"Afghan Taliban should understand that they are running a state in Afghanistan so they cannot protect TTP or any other terrorist group," Cheema added.

*With input from AFP