Pakistani Air Attack Kills Afghan Women And Children, Taliban Fires Heavy Weapons At Borders

JAKARTA - Afghanistan's ruling Taliban Authority said on Monday five women and three children were killed in two Pakistani airstrikes on their territory, in response to heavy gunfire along the border in response.

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan does not allow anyone to compromise security using Afghan territory," Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement.

The attack killed five women and three children on the eastern border of Khost and Paktika provinces, Mujahid added.

In a statement, Pakistan's Foreign Office said Pakistan had carried out "an intelligence-based anti-terrorist operation in the border area in Afghanistan".

They did not specify what kind of operation they were carrying out, but said the attack targeted members of the militant group Hafiz Gulf Bahadur after an attack on a military post in Pakistan on Saturday.

In a statement made to state television, Pakistan's military said "the terrorism wave recently received full support and assistance from Afghanistan".

The statement did not mention any airstrikes, but said Saturday's attack was carried out by militants with "places of refuge" in Afghanistan.

The Pakistani government and security officials have repeatedly said such attacks have escalated in recent months, many of which are claimed by the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and launched from Afghanistan.

"Over the past two years, Pakistan has repeatedly expressed its serious concern to the Afghan interim government over the presence of terror groups," the Pakistan Foreign Office said.

The latest attack on Saturday comes as a vehicle containing explosives and several suicide bombers exploded at a military post near the Afghan border, killing seven members of Pakistan's security forces.

In a separate statement, the Taliban's Defense Ministry said its security forces had targeted Pakistani troops at the border in response to the airstrikes.

Meanwhile, the Taliban Foreign Office said it had summoned the head of Pakistan's mission to condemn the attack on him.

The Afghan Taliban also denied they allowed their territory to be used by militant groups.

"Pakistan should not blame Afghanistan for the lack of control, inability and problems in its own territory," said Mujahid, who is also a spokesman for the Taliban.

"Such an incident could have very bad consequences and could not be controlled by Pakistan," he said.