Pakistan airstrikes on Afghanistan kill at least 15

New Delhi: Airstrikes conducted by Pakistan on suspected terror targets in Afghanistan's Paktika province have resulted in the deaths of at least 15 people, including women and children.

The strikes, which targeted Pakistani Taliban strongholds, have been condemned by the Taliban's Defence Ministry as a "brutal act" and "blatant aggression".

According to Afghan media reports, the airstrikes targeted seven villages, with one being destroyed. A training facility was also dismantled, and several terrorists were killed.

However, the Taliban claimed that the strikes primarily targeted civilians, with most of the victims being refugees from the Waziristan region.

The airstrikes came amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of harbouring Pakistani Taliban militants.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, emboldening the TTP, whose leaders and fighters are hiding in Afghanistan.

Pakistan's special representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, had met with the Taliban leadership in Kabul just hours before the airstrikes to discuss boosting ties.

The Taliban has warned of retaliation, calling the airstrikes a "cowardly act" and stating that Pakistan's "unilateral airstrikes" are not a solution to any issue.