Sources confirm that Pakistani airstrikes have killed at least 46 people in Afghanistan's eastern Khost province. The attacks, which took place close to the border, targeted villages that locals say housed families, not militants. Among the dead are women and children. The strikes risk destabilising an already fragile region and put Britain's allies in the crosshairs.
Afghan Taliban officials called the bombing a violation of sovereignty. They warned of retaliation. The Pakistani military claims it was targeting hideouts used by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, a group responsible for cross-border attacks. But unverified documents and survivor accounts paint a different picture: schools and homes reduced to rubble, no evidence of militant presence.
This is not a clean strike. This is a political gamble. Pakistan is playing a dangerous game, and the consequences will be felt in London as much as in Kabul. British forces spent two decades in Afghanistan, and UK intelligence still has a presence. Our allies there are now targets.
The UN, US, and EU have all condemned the attacks. But condemnation changes nothing on the ground. The question is: will Pakistan face consequences? Or will the bodies be buried under the usual diplomatic silence?
We will keep tracking the money and the bodies. Expect fallout.
