Taliban deputy spokesman claims Pakistani airstrikes in Nangarhar dismembered 13 civilians, mostly women and children

KABUL (Afghan Verified) -- Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Taliban, stated that Pakistani airstrikes on Nangarhar province left only the faces of a few victims intact, with body parts of 13 others -- mostly women and children -- completely destroyed.

Fitrat wrote on X on Sunday, 3 Hoot (corresponding to Feb. 22, 2026), that the victims' body parts had been collected and none remained intact. He rejected Pakistan's claim that the strikes targeted terrorists, asserting the victims were ordinary civilians. Fitrat added, referring to the bodies: "These are the same terrorists that the Pakistani military regime claimed yesterday to have attacked."

The remarks come amid reports of similar past Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan's border provinces, which have resulted in civilian deaths and injuries, including women and children.

Separately, Asef Durani, a former Pakistani representative in Afghanistan, described the strikes on hideouts of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Daesh as "a clear and measured message to the Afghan Taliban."