
Pakistan launches deadly air strikes on Afghanistan
Pakistan has conducted further air strikes on Afghanistan, killing nine civilians and injuring 11 others, the Taliban government said.
Islamabad's information ministry confirmed the strikes, which it said killed twenty-two militants.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman of the Afghan Taliban, said the strikes hit homes in the Kunar and Helmand provinces bordering Pakistan. Women and children are among the dead, he said in an X post.
An eyewitness from Garmsir, Qudratullah, told the BBC that the airstrikes started around 03:30 local time (00:00 BST) and continued for 30 minutes.
"We were sleeping when the jets arrived. After the first bomb exploded, we woke up. After the second strikes, we took our children and fled the area. The third bomb hit our neighbours house; between four and give members of their family were killed while others were injured and taken to hospital."
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban of harbouring militant groups that carry out and plan attacks on it from inside Afghanistan's territory.
The Afghan Taliban deny it, saying Pakistan's militancy is an internal problem, but it has led to a significant deterioration in the relationship between the two neighbours.
Fighting between the neighbours escalated dramatically in February this year, with Pakistan declaring that it's in an "open war" with Afghanistan after a surge in deadly clashes and cross-border airstrikes.
Talks mediated by China established a fragile ceasefire in March, but it did nolast.