A local Taliban official and residents say 36 people were killed in airstrikes on Friday by Pakistani aircraft entering Afghan airspace. Pakistan has denied that it carried out the raids. Islamabad claims that militants are carrying out attacks inside Pakistan, crossing its illegal western border with Afghanistan. Taliban officials say they have been controlling the attacks since taking over the country in August last year. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register A statement from the Afghan Foreign Ministry said that Pakistan’s ambassador to Kabul had been summoned for the recent attacks in Khost and Kunar provinces and had been given a diplomatic visit to Islamabad. “Military offenses, including those in Khost and Kunar, must be prevented as such actions worsen relations … allowing rivals to abuse the situation leading to unintended consequences,” the statement said, citing the Afghan Foreign Minister. Han Moutaki. The statement did not specify the nature of the attacks, but a local Taliban leader in Khost, Mawlawi Mohammad Raes Helal, said two areas had been bombed by Pakistani helicopters and 36 people had been killed. The claim was repeated by some residents, but a spokesman for the Pakistani embassy denied that there had been airstrikes and told Reuters that the ambassador and Taliban authorities were discussing a border issue. There was no official confirmation of the death toll. Pakistan has had good relations with the Taliban for years, even though Islamabad was officially an ally of the United States during the 20-year occupation of Afghanistan. Ever since the Taliban invaded Afghanistan, there have been numerous skirmishes along the 2,600-kilometer (1,615-mile) border with Pakistan – designed by British colonial leaders and challenged in Kabul. More and more frustrated by the ongoing militant attacks, the Pakistani military has intensified operations along the border with Afghanistan in recent months. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Reports from the Kabul newsroom and Charlotte Greenfield in Islamabad. Written by Gibran Peshimam, Edited by Ross Russell Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
