Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes hit a residential home in Khost province late Monday, claiming the lives of five boys, four girls and a woman.
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“Last night, around 12 o’clock, Pakistani invading forces carried out a bombing on the home of a local resident, Wilayat Khan son of Qazi Mir, in the Mughalgay area of Gerbaz district in Khost province, as a result of which 9 children (5 boys and 4 girls) and one woman were martyred, and his home was destroyed,” said Mujahid in a post on social media platform X.
The move comes hours after Pakistan faced fresh security turmoil at home as gunmen launched an attack on the Frontier Constabulary headquarters in Peshawar, a key security installation near the military cantonment area.
According to Reuters’ police and security sources, two suicide bombers were involved in the assault, with the first detonating explosives at the entrance before the second entered the compound. At least three people were reported killed, and security forces sealed off surrounding roads as they continued to search for additional attackers believed to be inside.Authorities said army units and police were coordinating the response while residents in nearby neighbourhoods reported hearing gunfire and explosions late into the night. The attack adds to mounting concerns over Pakistan’s internal security, coming at a time when relations with Kabul are at their most strained in years.Moreover, earlier this month, a suicide bombing in Islamabad killed 12 people. The Pakistan Taliban, which shares ideological roots with Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, claimed responsibility.
Islamabad later alleged that the militants behind the capital blast were directed “step by step” by leadership based across the border in Afghanistan.
The violence comes after several rounds of talks aimed at de-escalating border tensions collapsed last month.