Pakistan Launched Airstrikes on Khost Province in Afghanistan
NEW DELHI, April 16: Afghanistan on Saturday claimed that Pakistani aircraft launched airstrikes on the Khost province of Afghanistan on Friday night killing at least 30 people including women and children.
At least 26 Pakistani planes targeted the villages of Mirpar, Mandeh, Shaidi and Kai in the Spura district of Khost province, spokesman for the Taliban police chief in Khost province, Mostaghfar Gerbz confirmed.
King Jamshid, a large ethnic group in the Waziristan region told the media persons that 30 people, including women and children, had been killed in the attacks. However, Gerbz said that he was unaware of the casualties in the bombing.
On the other hand, on Friday at around 9:00, Pakistani troops clashed with Taliban forces in the area of Masterbel, in the Gorbz district.
Some media house tweeted, “Media reports as well as interviews with a number of eyewitnesses show that Pakistani forces have carried out airstrikes in two areas in the eastern Kunar and the south-eastern Khost provinces of Afghanistan on Friday night.
Pakistani media have reported that a number of anti-government militants have been killed in Pakistani airstrikes on North Waziristan. However, the Pakistani government and the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs so far have not commented on the matter.
As per Afghan media, “A tribal elder from Waziristan who lives in Khost said Pakistani forces’ aircraft targeted Waziristan migrants’ camp in the area, leaving at least 30 people either killed or wounded.”
Meanwhile, eyewitnesses in Kunar confirmed the death of five people in an airstrike by Pakistani forces in the province.
(Manas Dasgupta)
