Afghan officials say Pakistani strikes killed 7 and wounded 85 in first attacks since peace talks

ABC NewsLiveVideoShowsShopInterest Successfully AddedWe'll notify you here with news aboutTurn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? OffOnStream onAfghan officials say Pakistani strikes killed 7 and wounded 85 in first attacks since peace talksAfghan officials say mortars and missiles fired from Pakistan have struck a university and homes in northeastern Afghanistan, killing seven people and wounding at least 85ByABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN Associated PressApril 27, 2026, 1:14 PM1:19Local residents look at a damaged area of a police station after an overnight deadly bombing in the Bannu district of northwestern Pakistan, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Amaad Khattak)The Associated PressKABUL, Afghanistan -- Mortars and missiles fired from Pakistan on Monday struck a university and civilian homes in northeastern Afghanistan, killing seven people and wounding at least 85, Afghan officials said. Pakistan denied the accusation of targeting a university.The strikes were the first violent incident since Chinese-mediated peace talks between the two sides earlier this month.Pakistan and Afghanistan had been embroiled in months of deadly fighting that has killed hundreds of people since late February, when Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan. Islamabad had declared it was in open war with Afghanistan, in an escalation of violence that alarmed the international community.Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting dismissed Afghan media reports and official statements about the strikes on the university as “a blatant lie.” Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants that carry out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The group is separate from, but allied with, the Afghan Taliban, which took over Afghanistan in 2021 following the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Kabul denies the charge.Afghan and Pakistani officials met in Urumqi in western China in early April, and had agreed not to escalate their conflict and “explore a comprehensive solution,” China’s government had said after mediating the talks.Monday’s strikes marked the first major attack since the talks, highlighting the tenuous nature of peace efforts mediated by the international community. Apart from China, other nations that have been involved in mediation between the two sides at various times include Turkey, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.The fighting largely subsided in March, after the two sides declared a temporary truce for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The truce followed a deadly Pakistani airstrike on March 17 on a drug treatment facility in the Afghan capital, Kabul, that Afghanistan said killed more than 400 civilians. Pakistan denied targeting civilian facilities and disputed the death toll.Still, sporadic cross-border fighting had continued even while delegations from the two sides were attending the talks in Urumqi.Afghan deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said Monday’s mortar and missile attack struck the city of Asadabad, the capital of Kunar Province, as well as various areas in another district in the province on Monday afternoon.Kunar Information and Culture Director Najibullah Hanafi said the death toll stood at seven, with 85 people wounded.Popular Reads'Absolute chaos': Gunman charges WH…

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