Nine people have been killed and three buildings have been destroyed in Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan, Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. He said the attacks had hit civilian targets. He condemned Islamabad's actions and said "the Afghans will give a befitting response."
The claim of nine casualties has not been independently confirmed, and available reports of the latest Pakistani strikes give different numbers of casualties. On September 21, Afghan authorities reported three civilians killed and four wounded in Kunar province. The UN mission in Afghanistan confirmed the three deaths.
In subsequent strikes in Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces, Afghan authorities said four civilians were killed. Pakistan said it hit 10 sites used to store and launch drones and that 28 militants were killed. The Associated Press reported that the two sides gave significantly different casualty figures.
Earlier, airstrikes in June killed nine members of one family in Khost province - seven children, a woman and a man, according to the Associated Press. The Afghan government at the time reported a total of 13 civilian deaths and 14 wounded in Khost, Kunar and Paktika provinces.
Pakistan says its operations are targeting hideouts and infrastructure of armed groups that carry out attacks on Pakistani territory. Islamabad accuses Kabul of allowing Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan fighters to operate from Afghanistan. The Taliban government denies the accusation.
Due to discrepancies between official reports and the lack of independent verification, the nine deaths and the destruction of the three buildings should be considered an Afghan claim and not a definitively confirmed result of the strikes.
Sources: AMU TV