Pakistan said on Sunday its forces attacked military facilities and “terrorist hideouts” in southern Afghanistan, escalating cross-border tensions.
Security sources claimed troops destroyed technical support infrastructure and an equipment storage facility in Kandahar, home to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Another strike reportedly hit a tunnel used by the Afghan Taliban and the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), blamed for attacks in Pakistan.
The military later reported four civilians, all brothers, killed in Bajaur after Afghan shelling hit a house near the border.
One other person was seriously injured, though both sides insist they do not target civilians, complicating independent verification in remote areas.
Local Kandahar residents told AFP they saw jet planes overhead and heard explosions lighting the night sky with visible flames.
An airstrike was also reported in Spin Boldak, southeast of Kandahar, while Khost authorities said clashes erupted Saturday night near the border.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes caused minor damage to a drug rehabilitation centre and an empty container in Kandahar.
“The places they are talking about are far away from these two locations,” Mujahid added, disputing Pakistan’s claims of military hits.
Afghan government deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said one person was killed when a civilian home was struck by Pakistani shelling.
On Saturday, Pakistan claimed it thwarted Afghan drone attacks targeting at least three sites, including its military headquarters near Islamabad.
President Asif Ali Zardari’s office warned the Afghan Taliban had “crossed a red line” by targeting civilians and vowed a military response.
Islamabad launched operations last month targeting Islamist extremists, while the Taliban deny involvement or use of Afghan territory for militancy.
Repeated border clashes have disrupted trade, forced residents to flee, and left at least 75 civilians dead and 193 injured since February 26.
