Pakistani strikes killed at least 12 people in Afghanistan near their border, Afghan government officials and local sources said on Wednesday, the deadliest in weeks and following a period of relative calm.

“Last night, the Pakistani military once again violated Afghanistan’s airspace and bombed civilian homes in the provinces of Kunar, Khost, and Paktika,” Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on X. “As a result of these attacks, 11 children, one woman, and one elderly man were killed.”

An official in Khost province who requested anonymity said a house in Spera district was struck, killing nine people and wounding 10 others.

In neighboring Paktika province, two residents said a separate attack killed three civilians in Barmal district. The strike hit a home, and those killed were children, one of the residents said.

Pakistan’s military and the prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to request for comment, but Islamabad has repeatedly said strikes on Afghanistan are aimed at militants who have carried out attacks on its territory and that it does not deliberately target civilians.

The strikes came after Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants killed six paramilitary personnel and abducted eight others during an attack on a checkpoint in northwestern Pakistan, security officials said on Tuesday.

Dozens of members of the militant group, which claimed responsibility for the attack, stormed a checkpoint in the city of Peshawar with firearms, hand grenades and mortar shells on Monday, a security official said.

“Six personnel of the Federal Constabulary (FC) were martyred and four others wounded in an attack carried out by armed militants,” said a second security official, referring to Pakistan’s paramilitary force which contributes to much of the frontline security in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan.

The Interior Ministry said that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi later attended the funeral prayers for the slain security personnel in Peshawar.

Naqvi praised the victims and offered his condolences to their families, saying their sacrifices would not be forgotten. He said that Pakistan remains united in its fight against extremism and that operations against groups “that threaten peace and security will expand and intensify.”

The strikes are the deadliest in weeks and follow a period of relative calm at the border after conflict between the two countries erupted in late February.

An escalation saw fierce fighting along the frontier and unprecedented Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan cities – including the capital, Kabul, and southern Kandahar, where the supreme leader is based.

At least 372 Afghan civilians were killed and 397 others wounded in that conflict in the first three months of this year, a United Nations report published last month said.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been fraught since the Taliban took power for a second time in 2021.

Security issues have proved a sticking point, especially Pakistan’s demand that Afghanistan curb the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group.

Islamabad accuses the Taliban government of sheltering militants behind a surge in attacks, particularly the TTP, which has waged a violent campaign against Pakistan for years.

Afghan officials deny the charge and counter that Pakistan harbors hostile groups and does not respect its sovereignty.

The border between the neighbors has remained largely closed since a flare-up in violence in October, freezing bilateral trade. (AFP)