The first cross-border strike inside Afghanistan since March came after a spate of attacks by the Pakistan Taliban.

Pakistan launched deadly airstrikes on Afghanistan’s Paktika province, killing at least 46 people, mostly women and children. The Afghan Taliban condemned the attack as a violation of international principles and vowed retaliation.

Pakistan air strikes in an eastern border region of Afghanistan killed 46 civilians, the Taliban government said Wednesday, whilst a Pakistan security official said the bombardment had targeted "terrorist hideouts".