Pakistan defended its recent counter-terrorism airstrikes in Afghanistan's Paktika province, emphasizing their intelligence-based operations and commitment to civilian safety and Afghan sovereignty. They called for joint efforts with Afghanistan to combat threats like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) through dialogue and diplomacy.

The first cross-border strike inside Afghanistan since March came after a spate of attacks by the Pakistan Taliban.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistan’s airstrikes on eastern Afghanistan killed 46 people, mostly women and children, a Taliban government official said Wednesday, raising fears of further straining the relations between the two neighbors.