Pakistani strike killed hundreds, Afghanistan says, as regional conflicts boil

"Pakistani authorities acknowledged striking what it says were military targets in the Afghan capital but denied attacking the rehab center. A funeral for dozens of people whose remains could not be identified drew mourners to the streets of Kabul on Wednesday. Sirajuddin Haqqani, the interior minister in Afghanistan's Taliban government, decried the attack but warned against the impulse to seek revenge."

"Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have deteriorated since U.S. forces withdrew in 2021 and the Taliban returned to Kabul. Islamabad accuses the Taliban of harboring Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a militant group that pledges loyalty to the Taliban's leader in Afghanistan and has repeatedly attacked Pakistan."

"The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is posing challenges for Afghanistan and Pakistan as energy prices surge and remittances come under pressure. At least 10 people were killed in clashes with security forces during anti-war protests this month outside the U.S. Consulate general in Karachi, Pakistan, authorities there said."

Pakistan conducted an airstrike on Kabul that killed more than 400 people at a drug rehabilitation center, according to Afghanistan's health ministry. Pakistani authorities claimed they targeted military installations but denied striking the rehab facility. The incident reflects deteriorating relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan since the Taliban's 2021 return to power. Pakistan accuses the Taliban of harboring Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a militant group responsible for attacks on Pakistani territory. Regional tensions involving the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran have intensified the conflict, with Pakistan increasing strikes on Afghanistan. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey urged Pakistan to pause operations during Eid al-Fitr. Anti-war protests in Pakistan resulted in at least 10 deaths during clashes with security forces.

Read at The Washington Post