Pakistan air strikes in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province killed 46 people, including many women and children, Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP on Wednesday.

He stated that the strikes occurred on Tuesday night, targeting four locations in the Barmal district, and also left six others injured, mostly children.

Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense condemned the strikes, calling them "barbaric" and a "clear aggression".

"The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered, but rather considers the defence of its territory and sovereignty to be its inalienable right," the statement stressed, using the Taliban authorities' name for the government.

A local resident, Maleel, told AFP that the air strikes killed 18 members of one family, with the bombs hitting two or three houses.

Another strike killed three people in a different house and wounded several others, who were taken to a hospital, he added.

Strikes targeted 'terrorist hideouts': Pakistan security source

A senior Pakistani security official told AFP on Wednesday that Pakistan carried out air strikes inside Afghanistan to target "terrorist hideouts" across the border.

"Pakistan carried out late-night air strikes targeting terrorist hideouts inside Afghanistan, utilising a mix of jets and drones," the source said on the condition of anonymity.

A flashback

The deadly air strikes follow earlier incidents in March when Pakistan's military airstrikes reportedly killed eight Afghan civilians, which led to skirmishes along the border.

Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban government have escalated since the Taliban took power in 2021. Pakistan has accused the Taliban of sheltering militants who carry out attacks in Pakistan, although Kabul denies these allegations.

The air strike comes after a raid by the Pakistani Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), last week on a Pakistani army outpost near the Afghan border, which Pakistani officials say killed 16 soldiers.

Earlier on Tuesday, high-level Taliban officials were meeting with Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan during a visit to Kabul.