Casualties as Pakistan pounds civilian homes in Khost, Kunar

KHOST CITY/ASADABAD (Pajhwok): Pakistani security forces have allegedly carried out airstrike on Waziristan refugees in Sperai district of southeastern Khost province and in the Shaltan district of eastern Kunar province, inflicting casualties on people, according to local residents on Saturday.

MalakJamshaid, a tribal elder of Waziristan refugees, told Pajhwok Afghan News the airstrike happened on Friday night in the PasaiMelai, Mandati and Koni areas, targeting civilian homes.

He said 14 people, including women and children, were killed and 21 others wounded in the blitz.

Rasoul Jan, another elder of the Waziristani refugees, told Pajhwok Afghan News the airstrike happened at 2:30am when people were preparing for sahari (pre-dawn meal for fasting).

He claimed Pakistani jets bombarded three villages in which 41 people were killed and 21 others injured.

He said the deceased were common civilians and included 27 people from one family and nine from another family.

Mullah Khan, a resident of the locality, said that he got injured in the airstrike on his house.

He said there were 18 to 19 rooms in his house all of which had been destroyed in the airstrike.

He said all the victims were civilians and had no links with any armed group.

Faizullah, another resident of locality, said Pakistan forces and Afghan security forces engaged in firefight in the Mastibil locality last night.

He said there was no information about casualties but the fighting was so intense in which the sounds of light and heavy weapons and helicopters were heard.

Khost Police Spokesperson MustaghfarGurbaz acknowledged the two incidents but did not provide detail.

Another official in the province, who wished to go unnamed, said that Pakistani aircrafts bombarded four villages including Mirchar, Mandta, Kani and Shidi in Spera district of Khost.

People suffered casualties in the airstrikes in Mandta and Kani villages, the official said.

Quoting military experts, he said, that Pakistani forces embarrassedly bombarded Afghanistan’s soil following increased attacks on Pakistani forces by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) recently.

Officials of the Islamic Emirate are in contact with the Pakistani officials to resolve the issue, the source added.

On the other hand, a doctor in a private hospital in Khost city, who wished not to be named, said that nine injured people including two women were evacuated to the hospital. He said that one of the injured was in critical condition.

A person from Mestarbal area was also taken to the hospital, but it is unclear whether he is a security man or civilian, the source said.

An official of Khost Civil Hospital also confirmed that two injured people from a conflict area between Afghan and Pakistani forces were evacuated to the hospital.

Elsewhere, six members of a family were killed in an airstrike of Pakistani forces in Shaltan district of Kunar province on Friday night.

Eyewitnesses say that the incident took place in Gargo area of the district.

They say that five children and a woman were killed in the incident.

Hayatullah, a resident of Gargo area, talking to Pajhwok Afghan News, said, “It was around 2am last night when a jet bombarded the house of our neighbor that killed six people.”

He said that three girls, two boys and a woman were killed in the incident.

However, a tribal elder from Shaltan district, Shin Gul, said that Pakistani forces launched air and ground strikes on their area, but the incidents caused no casualties.

“Pakistani forces bombarded our area which followed by rocket strikes and gun fires, but fortunately it did not cause human or financial losses,” he said.

Officials of the central government did not respond to Pajhwok contacts for their comment on the incidents.

Nh/mds/ma