PESHAWAR: At least nine people were killed and 15 others injured over the past two days after forces of the Afghan interim government shelled civilian areas and villages inside Pakistani territory, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said.
In a post late Friday on X, Tarar said the casualties included women and children, alleging that Afghan forces carried out “unprovoked and criminal targeting of civilians” in the northwestern Bajaur tribal district. He added that 12 people were wounded in Thursday’s incident alone.
The inhuman violent spate of deliberate targeting of innocent civilians by Afghans Taliban regime in border districts of KP is unacceptable, insidious and reflective of their barbaric nature towards human life. Resorting to targeting civilian areas after being comprehensively… pic.twitter.com/1cPd7c6JeI
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) May 1, 2026
On Friday, three civilians playing cricket were injured in what Tarar described as a “blatant and shameless” quadcopter strike carried out by “Fitna Al Khwarij,” a term Islamabad uses for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it accuses Kabul of backing.
In a post on X, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar strongly condemned what he described as the deliberate targeting of civilians by the Afghan Taliban in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s border districts, calling the attacks “inhuman” and “unacceptable.”
He said at least nine civilians, including women and children, were killed and 12 others injured in Bajaur due to what he termed unprovoked shelling. In comparison, three more civilians were wounded in a separate quadcopter attack allegedly carried out by militants linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
He said the shelling followed setbacks faced by militants against Pakistani security forces and reflected a disregard for human life.
Following a sharp surge in terrorist attacks by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) inside Pakistan, the Pakistani government launched a decisive crackdown, declaring an intensified campaign against terrorism.
As part of these counterterrorism operations, Pakistan conducted targeted airstrikes against militant hideouts in Afghanistan. Officials said the strikes were aimed at dismantling TTP infrastructure and preventing further cross-border attacks.
Since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has re-emerged, according to Pakistani security officials.
Authorities say thousands of TTP fighters and their families have since relocated to eastern Afghan provinces, including Khost, Paktika, Paktia, and Kunar, where they are believed to operate with relative freedom.
Pakistani intelligence assessments further allege that some Afghan Taliban commanders have acted as facilitators, assisting TTP fighters in regrouping after carrying out cross-border attacks.
Pakistan officails have reiterated that Pakistan’s campaign against militancy is based on lawful and principled action against armed groups and their backers.
