Pakistani airstrikes hit Nangarhar, 23 trapped under rubble

Local residents said overnight Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan left at least 23 people trapped under rubble in Nangarhar’s Behsud district.

According to the statemen of the residents, airstrikes targeted Nangarhar, Paktika and Khost provinces around 1:00 a.m. on Sunday night, , Febraury 22 striking multiple districts across the eastern region.

The attacks hit Behsud and Khogyani districts in Nangarhar, as well as Barmal and Urgun districts in Paktika. Parts of Khost province were also reportedly struck, though details remain limited.

Sources said a civilian house in Behsud was hit, leaving at least 23 people, including women and children, trapped under debris. The full extent of casualties has not yet been confirmed.

In Barmal district of Paktika, a mosque, a cattle farm and a religious madrassa were reportedly among the structures damaged during the strikes.

Meanwhile, Quraishi Badlon, Taliban information chief in Nangarhar, said Pakistani overnight airstrikes in Behsud district killed at least 17 civilians, including 11 children, and wounded five others.

Officials in Islamabad described the operation as aimed at militant hideouts, while no independent verification of the damage or casualties has been released so far.

Cross-border tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban authorities have intensified in recent months, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of failing to curb militant activity along the frontier.

Pakistan has repeatedly alleged that Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan fighters operate from Afghanistan territory, a claim the Taliban deny, insisting they do not allow their soil to be used against other countries.

Taliban’s Defense Ministry condemned the strikes and warned that a reciprocal response would be delivered “at an appropriate time,” signaling the risk of further escalation.

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