Kandahar: At least six civilians, including women and children, were killed, and five others injured after Pakistan struck three residential homes in Spin Boldak district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province.
The attack came after the third round of peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Istanbul ended in a deadlock.
Afghan media outlet TOLO news quoted Afghan citizen Hayatullah as saying: “Two or three mortar shells hit our home. My mother was martyred, and my child was injured in the arm.”
Another resident, Abdul Manan, said that two artillery shells struck his home, killing his young son and grandson and injuring two other family members
“It’s very painful. No one can understand it. No one knows what we are going through,” Manan said.
A commercial centre in Spin Boldak was also hit in the Pakistani Army shelling, causing extensive damage to local businesses and property. Locals said such attacks on civilians and commercial centres are blatant violations of international laws.
“You always do this. These are acts of aggression against us. Civilian and commercial infrastructure must not be targeted,” TOLO news quoted an eyewitness, Najibullah, as saying.
Pakistan has been accused of breaching the ceasefire without any provocation and launched attacks on civilians, noting that Afghan forces have not retaliated.
“They always violate the ceasefire, while the Islamic Emirate’s forces have mostly remained committed and have not broken the truce,” said Ali Mohammad Haqmal, Head of Information and Culture in Spin Boldak.
Afghanistan’s leading news agency Khaama Press reported that the third round of peace negotiations between Pakistan and Taliban authorities held in Istanbul aimed at establishing a joint framework for cross-border security and counterterrorism once again ended without any breakthrough,
Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Friday that the negotiations had been suspended after reaching a deadlock, with no immediate plans to resume talks.
