Pakistan Conducts Air Strikes in Afghanistan Killing Dozens

Middle Eastern outlets give weight to Taliban statements that Pakistan’s air strikes killed dozens of people, including civilians, and show images of the aftermath in Afghan towns. They also relay Pakistan’s claim that it was acting against militants, but question whether the strikes respected Afghan sovereignty. Commentators in the region discuss how worsening Pakistan-Taliban ties could affect wider security and refugee flows across Muslim-majority countries.

• •Taliban officials in Kabul say the Pakistani strikes killed and injured dozens of Afghans.
• •Middle Eastern media show damaged homes and grieving families in areas hit by the air strikes.
• •Pakistan is quoted as saying it hit militant positions that threatened its internal security.
• •Commentators in the region argue that Pakistan’s actions risk violating Afghanistan’s sovereignty.
• •Some analysts in Middle Eastern outlets warn that renewed conflict on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border could push more refugees toward neighboring states.