Post by : Badri Ariffin

At least three people were killed and four others injured after alleged Pakistani air raids struck northeastern Afghanistan, according to Afghan officials.

Kunar provincial spokesperson Farid Dehqan told Al Jazeera that the attack took place in Nurgal district at around 4am local time on Monday, September 21. The attack was reported at about 11:30pm GMT on Sunday.

Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said that at least one house in Kunar was hit. He said the strike killed three members of the same family and injured four others.

Pakistan Says 28 ‘Terrorists’ Were Killed

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said that 28 “terrorists” were killed in air strikes targeting three locations inside Afghanistan.

The ministry’s statement came as Afghan officials reported civilian casualties and damage to residential property in Kunar.

In Paktika province, Fitrat said two locations in Barmal district were also bombarded. According to him, one shop and an unoccupied house were destroyed, but no casualties were reported there.

There was no immediate comment from Pakistan specifically addressing the reported attacks in Kunar and Paktika.

Strike Raises Fresh Tensions Between Pakistan and Afghanistan

The reported air raids come after nearly three months of relative calm between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The latest developments have raised concerns over renewed tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been strained since February, when the two sides were involved in their most serious clashes in years.

The dispute has largely focused on armed violence inside Pakistan. Islamabad has accused Afghanistan of allowing armed groups to operate from Afghan territory and carry out attacks inside Pakistan.

The Taliban government has rejected those allegations, saying the violence inside Pakistan is an internal issue.

Kohat Attack Preceded Latest Air Raids

The latest strikes came days after a Pakistan Taliban faction said it carried out a bombing at a mosque located at a police facility in Kohat, northwestern Pakistan.

The September 18 attack was followed by a gun battle. Pakistani officials said the blast and subsequent fighting killed at least 21 people, most of them police officers.

On Saturday, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information warned that Pakistan could target fighters inside Afghanistan in response to attacks carried out in Pakistan.

The ministry blamed the Kohat attack on fighters it said were based in Afghanistan.

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