On Tuesday, airstrikes by Pakistani military aircraft in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province resulted in the death of at least 46 people, most of whom were women and children, according to the Afghan Taliban. An additional six individuals were injured in the bombings, which targeted four locations in the province, deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat confirmed on Wednesday.

The Afghan Taliban have condemned the attack, warning of retaliation. In response, Afghanistan’s foreign office summoned Pakistan’s head of mission in Kabul, delivering a formal protest note to Islamabad. The protest conveyed stern warnings about the consequences of such actions.

As of now, the Pakistani government and military officials have not issued any statements regarding the incident. The escalation has raised tensions between the two nations, with calls for accountability and restraint from regional observers.

“Afghanistan considers this brutal act a blatant violation of all international principles and an obvious act of aggression,” Enayatullah Khowrazmi, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defence, said in a statement. “The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered.”

A Pakistani official, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed to Reuters that the airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktika province targeted a camp belonging to the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), an Islamist militant group.

Although the TTP pledges allegiance to the Afghan Taliban and derives its name from the group, it operates independently and is not directly affiliated with Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban. The TTP’s stated objective is to impose Islamic religious law in Pakistan, mirroring the Taliban’s governance model in Afghanistan.

This revelation adds complexity to the situation, underscoring the challenges of addressing militant activities along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border while maintaining diplomatic relations.

The airstrikes in Afghanistan followed a major TTP attack in Pakistan’s South Waziristan region on Saturday, which resulted in the deaths of 16 Pakistani security personnel. South Waziristan borders the area in Afghanistan where the alleged TTP camp targeted by the airstrikes was located.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence stated that those killed in the Pakistani bombardment were “mostly Waziristani refugees,” indicating they originated from Pakistan’s Waziristan territory.

Relations between the two nations remain tense, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan of harbouring TTP militants and allowing them to launch cross-border attacks. The Afghan Taliban, however, has consistently denied these allegations, further straining diplomatic ties between the neighbours.