Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan kill 10, injure 4 says Afghan Govt

Pakistani bombing in Afghanistan on Monday night resulted in the death of nine children and one adult, Afghanistan's Government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Tuesday.

In a post on X, the spokesperson said, "Last night at around 12 o'clock in the Gorbuz district of Khost province, in the Mughalgai area, the Pakistani invading forces bombed the house of a local civilian resident, Waliat Khan, son of Qazi Mir. As a result, nine children (five boys and four girls)"

In a subsequent post the spokesoreson said that one woman was killed, and her house was destroyed. Air strikes also occurred in Kunar and Paktika, where four civilians were injured, he said.

Former US Envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad gave a call for realistic diplomacy and shared that there are reports of a Turkish delegation to visit Islamabad and Kabul to push for an agreement between the countries so as to prevent the use of territories for threatening security.

Signficantly, he lauded the initiative and mentioned that the agreement could result in the establishment of an operation or monitoring office based in Ankara and staffed by officials from Turkiye, Qatar, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Khalilzad wrote on X, "There are reports of multiple attacks by Pakistan in Afghanistan's Khost, Kunar, and Paktika provinces tonight. According to Initial report in Khost's Mughulgai area 9 children and one woman were killed. In Kunar and Paktika initial reports allege 4 civilians were injured. I condemn these attacks. My condolences to those who lost loved ones. The killing of civilians and risking a broader war is not the answer to the problems between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Patient and realistic diplomacy is a much better option. There are reports that a senior Turkish delegation will visit Islamabad and perhaps Kabul soon to push for an agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan not to allow their territories to be used by groups or individuals to threaten the security of each other. The agreement could include the establishment of an operation or monitoring office perhaps based in Ankara and staffed by officials from #Turkiye, #Qatar, #Afghanistan and #Pakistan. This center could not only monitor but also problem-solve when allegations or reports of violations are received. I applaud this initiative and call on both Afghanistan and Pakistan to cooperate with this initiative."

Earlier, a Pakistani diplomat met a senior Afghan governor in Jalalabad, marking the first high-level contact between the two sides in months amid rising security concerns in the region, Dawn reported.