Pakistan says it killed 28 militants, Afghan Taliban

Pakistan's government said that it launched airstrikes in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, killing at least 28 militants, with one security official saying two Afghan provinces were targeted.



Hours earlier, Afghan Taliban officials accused Islamabad of killing at least three civilians in overnight airstrikes on Afghan territory.



The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed the deaths of three civilians: a man, a woman and a girl.



The attacks broke nearly three months of relative calm.



According to the Taliban-run Afghan government, said the Afghan side "will respond appropriately to this aggression".



A Pakistani official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the strikes happened in the Afghan provinces of Paktika and Kunar.



Relations between the former allies have been strained for years, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of harbouring militants who stage cross-border attacks.



Conflict escalated this February and hundreds died in airstrikes, drone attacks, and artillery fire in the first half of the year.