Pakistan's Alleged 'Double-Tap' Strikes Near Afghan Border Kill 35, Including Children

A Bloody Toll in the Borderlands

The border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have grown dangerously high after a series of deadly cross-border airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan. Afghan officials have blamed Pakistan for carrying out operations that killed at least 35 people including women and children and injured more than 100 others. The strikes targeted several sites in the border provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Kunar.

Pakistan’s military defended the operation, saying the strikes were pinpoint and targeted directly at militant safe havens. Islamabad claims the areas hosted members of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and other armed groups blamed for a recent increase in deadly attacks inside Pakistan.

The Hidden Horror of the “Double-Tap”

The attacks have been roundly condemned for the alleged use of a controversial military tactic called a "double tap". That’s when a second strike is made in the same exact spot not long after the first blast.

The strategy is heavily criticised because it almost guarantees civilian deaths. When an explosion occurs in a residential area, neighbours, family members and local volunteers naturally rush to the scene to dig through the rubble looking for survivors. Seconds later a second strike fires, aimed at these first responders. And that is exactly what happened, according to Afghan officials and local witnesses who said ordinary citizens were caught in the crossfire trying to save their neighbours.

A Broken Border and a Growing Fear

Paktia, Paktika and Kunar are three of the long-time flashpoints along the volatile border between the two neighbours. Pakistan has long accused the Taliban-run government in Afghanistan of providing safe haven to militant groups on Afghan soil. Kabul has always dismissed the claims, saying Pakistan’s internal security problems are its own to sort out.

This newest tragedy has pushed an already fragile relationship to the edge. The strikes have been condemned by Afghan authorities as a flagrant breach of their national sovereignty and by Pakistan as an essential move for its national security. Analysts say the flare-up could further destabilise the communities on the border and spark a dangerous cycle of retaliation as emotions are high and diplomatic channels are strained.