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The strikes came as the neighboring countries trade blame over
who is responsible for a recent spate of militant attacks in
Pakistan. Pakistan says the attacks were launched from Afghan
soil, and Afghanistan's ruling Taliban deny this.
"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan does not allow anyone to
compromise security by using Afghan territory," Zabiullah
Mujahid, the spokesman of the Taliban administration, said in a
statement. The strikes killed five women and three children in
the eastern border provinces of Khost and Paktika, he added.
In another statement, the Taliban defense ministry said it had
targeted Pakistani troops at the border in response to the air
strikes.
Pakistan's army and foreign office did not immediately respond
to a request for comment on the strikes, which come after
unknown militants attacked a military post in Pakistan on
Saturday, killing seven security forces.
Though it was not immediately clear what prompted that attack,
the Pakistani government and security officials say such attacks
have risen in recent months, many of them claimed by the
Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and launched from Afghan soil.
The Afghan Taliban have denied that they allow their territory
to be used by militants.
"Pakistan shouldn't blame Afghanistan for the lack of control,
incompetence, and problems in its own territory," Mujahid, the
Taliban spokesman, said in the statement.
"Such incidents can have very bad consequences which will not be
in Pakistan's control."
(Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar in Kabul and Charlotte
Greenfield in Islambad; Writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing
by YP Rajesh and Clarence Fernandez and Miral Fahmy)
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