At least 28 civilians were killed after Pakistan launched air strikes and sent ground troops into Afghan provinces along its border on Sunday.
On Sunday evening, at around 11.30pm local time, in Paktya province, Chamkani district, an airstrike killed at least 22 civilians and injured at least 47 others. At around the same time, in Paktika province, Gyan district, a further airstrike killed six civilians; a third airstrike, in Kunar province, Marawara district, injured two children, the United Nations Afghan mission has said.
A further 49 were injured and women and children were among the victims, according to Unama.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government said civilian homes were hit and described the attack as a “cowardly act” and an “atrocity”.
Those killed in one of the strikes included “children, elderly people and women” sleeping in a house, it said.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government put the civilian death toll at 36 and said more than 160 had been injured.
The attacks come a day after three members of the Sindh Rangers, a Pakistani paramilitary force, were killed at their headquarters in Karachi, according to Pakistan’s military.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter faction of the TTP, claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack.
Both the TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar are banned in Pakistan, and by the UN, because of their involvement in past attacks.
