The Taliban said Thursday they summoned Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul to protest against drone strikes in eastern Afghanistan that they said killed three civilians and wounded seven others.
In a statement, the Taliban foreign ministry condemned the strikes in Nangarhar and Khost provinces as a violation of Afghanistan’s airspace and “in the strongest terms” denounced them as an infringement of sovereignty. The ministry said Pakistani forces had bombed civilians near the Durand Line.
Calling the attacks a “provocation,” the Taliban warned Islamabad that such actions would not go unanswered. “The Pakistani side has been clearly told that safeguarding Afghanistan’s airspace is a red line for the Islamic Emirate, and such irresponsible actions will not remain without consequences,” the statement said.
Pakistan’s military has not commented on the reported strikes.
Sources told Afghanistan International that on Wednesday evening drones targeted fighters from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction in Khost, Nangarhar and Kunar provinces. The Taliban have not commented on reports of a strike in Kunar.
Taliban-controlled Nangarhar state television said two drone strikes in Shinwar district wounded four civilians, including a woman and three children.
In Khost, a Taliban provincial spokesperson said strikes in Spera district killed three children and wounded five others, including women and children.
