Pakistan conducts airstrikes in Afghanistan; Taliban reports civilian deaths

Pakistan launched airstrikes in three Afghan provinces on Sunday, targeting what it described as militant hideouts. The Taliban government in Afghanistan, however, said the strikes hit civilian homes, resulting in multiple casualties.

The strikes occurred in Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar provinces along the border. According to Taliban officials, the highest number of casualties was in Mandikhel, a village in Paktika province. Pakistan has not provided its own casualty figures, and the BBC has not independently verified the claims from either side.

These attacks came a day after a suicide bombing at the headquarters of the Sindh Rangers, a Pakistani paramilitary force, in Karachi. Pakistan's military said three Rangers were killed, along with three militants. A fourth suspect, identified as an Afghan national, was arrested. The splinter group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which is part of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack.

Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban government in Afghanistan have been tense for months. Both countries agreed to a ceasefire last October, but it fell apart, as previous internationally mediated truces have done. Since then, intermittent border clashes and airstrikes have killed dozens on both sides.

In February, clashes left dozens dead. In March, a Pakistani strike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul reportedly killed hundreds. Earlier in June, Pakistan carried out air strikes that killed 26 militants, while the Taliban said 13 civilians, mostly children, also died.

The TTP and its splinter groups have been banned in Pakistan and by the United Nations for their involvement in past attacks. Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harbouring militants, while Afghanistan says Pakistan's strikes are unprovoked and often kill civilians.