ISLAMABAD: Pakistani fighter jets carried out airstrikes on suspected militant hideouts in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces of Kunar and Paktika on Monday, according to Pakistani security officials.
Two Pakistani security officials claimed that 28 suspected “terrorists” were killed in the strikes. However, Afghan authorities reported that three civilians were killed and four others were injured.
The airstrikes mark a fresh escalation between Pakistan and Afghanistan following a series of deadly attacks on Pakistani security forces near the Afghan border.
The latest strikes are expected to further strain relations between the neighbouring countries, which have witnessed increasing cross-border violence in recent months.
The escalation could also complicate diplomatic efforts by regional countries to reduce tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.
The casualty figures and details of the airstrikes could not immediately be independently verified. Pakistan’s military had not issued an official statement on the reported strikes at the time of publication.