Afghans gathered around a mass grave Sunday to bury villagers killed in overnight air strikes by Pakistan, which said its military targeted militants.

The overnight attacks killed at least 18 people and were the most extensive since border clashes in October, which left more than 70 dead on both sides and wounded hundreds.

"The house was completely destroyed. My children and family members were there. My father and my sons were there. All of them were killed," said Nezakat, a 35-year-old farmer in Bihsud district.

Islamabad said it hit seven sites along the border region targeting Afghanistan-based militant groups, in response to suicide bombings in Pakistan.

The military targeted the Pakistani Taliban and its associates, as well as an affiliate of the Islamic State group, a statement by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said.

Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said "people's homes have been destroyed, they have targeted civilians, they have committed this criminal act" with the bombardment of Nangarhar and Paktika provinces.

Nangarhar police said the bombardment started at around midnight and hit three districts, with those killed all in a civilian's house.

"Twenty-three members of his family were buried under the rubble, of whom 18 were killed and five wounded," said police spokesperson Sayed Tayeeb Hammad.

Afghanistan's defence ministry said it will "deliver an appropriate and calculated response" to the Pakistani strikes.

The two countries have been locked in an increasingly bitter dispute since the Taliban authorities retook control of Afghanistan in 2021.

Pakistani military action killed 70 Afghan civilians between October and December, according to the UN mission in Afghanistan.

Several rounds of negotiations followed an initial ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey, but they have failed to produce a lasting agreement.

The deteriorating relationship has hit people in both countries, with the land border largely shut for months.

Pakistan said Sunday that despite repeated urging by Islamabad, the Taliban authorities have failed to act against militant groups using Afghan territory to carry out attacks in Pakistan.

The Afghan government has denied harbouring militants. (AFP)



Edited by Priscilla Ng