Pakistan Backstabs Afghanistan: Airstrikes Kabul Hours After Ceasefire; Residential Areas And Schools Hit | 10 Points

Pakistan has again backstabbed Afghanistan by airstriking Kabul. The Taliban government said on Thursday that Pakistan had carried out two drone strikes on Kabul the previous day, just before the two neighbours announced a ceasefire following days of fighting that killed dozens in both countries and injured hundreds more. The latest airstrikes on residential areas and schools killed children.

What happened between Pakistan and Afghanistan? Key Points

1. The truce on Wednesday brought at least a temporary halt to the deadliest clashes between the neighbours since 2021, when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan following the collapse of the Western-backed government as the US and NATO forces were withdrawing after 20 years of war.

2. There was no immediate response in Islamabad to the latest accusations from Kabul and it was not immediately clear how this would affect the ceasefire, which was welcomed on Thursday by the United Nations as it urged both sides to bring a lasting end to hostilities.

3. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that Pakistan was ready for dialogue if Afghanistan fulfilled Islamabad's "justified" conditions following recent cross-border hostilities between the two sides, Dawn reported.

4. Pakistani officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss ongoing operations, had earlier told The Associated Press that Pakistani forces had targeted militant hideouts on Wednesday.

5. Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the Kabul police chief, told The Associated Press that the strikes hit the city on Wednesday afternoon. He said the drones hit a civilian house and a market. Zadran did not give casualty figures, but hospital doctors said earlier that five people were killed and dozens were injured.

6. The surgical centre run by Emergency, a nongovernmental organisation, said people had suffered shrapnel wounds, blunt force trauma and burns. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government's chief spokesman, initially said there had been an oil tanker explosion.

7. Cross-border violence has escalated since October 10, with both Islamabad and Kabul saying they were retaliating to armed provocations from the other.

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8. The truce announced by the two sides on Wednesday followed appeals from major regional powers, as the violence threatened to destabilise a region where groups, including the Islamic State group and al-Qaida, are trying to resurface. There were no reports of overnight fighting. Key border crossings remained closed on Thursday.

9. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan welcomed the ceasefire. It said the heaviest toll was in the south on Wednesday. The mission, known as UNAMA, said on Thursday that 37 civilians were killed and 425 were wounded in Afghanistan as a result of cross-border clashes with Pakistan this week. The casualties took place in Paktya, Paktika, Kunar, Khost, Kandahar, and Helmand provinces, it said.

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10. It said it has also documented at least 16 civilian casualties in several Afghan provinces during earlier clashes between the two countries. "UNAMA calls on all parties to bring a lasting end to hostilities to protect civilians and prevent further loss of life," the mission added.

Pakistan has not provided figures for civilian casualties suffered on its side of the border. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of harbouring militants, a charge rejected by the Taliban. Pakistan is grappling with attacks that have increased since 2021.

What Kabul residents say about Pakistani airstrikes

Abdul Rahim, a 50-year-old resident living with six family members in one of the damaged houses, described the impact of the strike. Although his family was not home at the time, he said the incident caused deep psychological trauma.

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Abdul Rahim said, "This brutal attack by Pakistan is clear to everyone; they have repeatedly violated our country. That was my daughter's room, which was hit. None of our neighbors is even military personnel."

Another affected resident, Habibullah, recounted: "Our family was terrified. They didn't know what to do when they realized the house had been hit by a rocket."

(With inputs from agency)