Deadly Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan end a month of calm

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Pakistan launched deadly new airstrikes on Afghanistan early Wednesday, ending a month of calm following what Islamabad previously described as “open war” between the neighbors that has defied international efforts to bring a lasting peace.

Afghanistan said the strikes hit the eastern provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika, and government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said 13 people were killed — 11 children, one woman and an older man — with 14 other civilians wounded.

Pakistan confirmed it carried out strikes, saying it targeted militant hideouts and infrastructure linked to recent attacks inside Pakistan and that 26 militants were killed. The two sides often give widely differing casualty figures.

Hundreds of people have been killed in the fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan since February, when Afghanistan attacked Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan. Several rounds of internationally mediated peace talks have failed to produce a lasting truce.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants who 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 has ruled Afghanistan since it seized power in the country in 2021 amid the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Kabul denies the charge.

In Khost, hundreds of mourners attended the funerals of nine people killed — seven children ranging in age from 3 to 15, a woman and a man. All were from the same family, killed when their house collapsed from the airstrike, relatives said.

Residents knelt to mourn at the open casket of a small child.

One mourner, Talib Gul, said those killed were his uncle and aunt along with their four daughters and three sons.

“In my uncle’s family, only two of his daughters survived. The rest of his entire family was martyred,” Gul said.

He said a second strike hit his brother's house, causing significant damage and killing many livestock that are central to livelihoods there.

Afghanistan’s foreign ministry summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires in Kabul to protest ”the violation of Afghan airspace and the bombing of the homes of innocent civilians,” deputy spokesperson and public relations director Zia Ahmad Takal said in a statement, adding that Pakistan should “find a fundamental solution to its internal problems.”

In a post on X, Pakistan's information minister, Attaullah Tarar, said strikes were carried out in border areas on "hideouts and safe havens of masterminds and planners" of attacks carried out by the Pakistani Taliban and insurgents in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.

Tarar said four targets were destroyed: a training center, a hideout, an ammunition cache and a facility belonging to militant commanders.

Pakistan’s counter-terrorism campaign will continue “at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism,” he said.

Pakistan’s information ministry on X dismissed Afghanistan's reports of civilian casualties, asserting that “Afghan Taliban accounts are peddling propaganda.”

Wednesday's strikes came a day after suspected Pakistani Taliban militants attacked a security post in Pakistan's Hasan Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, triggering a gunfight in which six members of the Federal Constabulary were killed and several others wounded, according to Pakistan’s interior ministry.

Local authorities in Pakistan said Tuesday that security forces killed eight of the attackers and thwarted an attempt to overrun the checkpoint.

The situation along the border was calm hours after Wednesday's strikes. Kabul has previously responded to strikes by targeting Pakistani posts along the frontier hours or days later.

Pakistan in February declared it was in open war with Afghanistan, following a surge in militant attacks on its civilians and security forces.

Afghanistan has said a Pakistani airstrike in March hit a drug treatment center in Kabul, killing more than 400 people. Pakistan has disputed the toll and denied targeting civilians, saying it struck an ammunition depot.

Wednesday's strikes come months after China hosted peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Beijing later said they had agreed not to escalate their conflict and to explore a solution.

Authorities in Pakistan have said China and some other friendly countries were still encouraging both sides to reach an agreement for durable peace.

Masood Khan, an Islamabad-based security analyst, said the solution to the tensions lies in enforcing a decree by Afghanistan's Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada ordering the TTP to stop attacks on Pakistan.

“That decree must be implemented sincerely and faithfully,” Khan said.

The border has been closed since October, disrupting trade and transportation and stranding thousands of people.

Ahmed reported from Islamabad. Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece, contributed to this report.

Residents mourn over the body of a child killed in airstrikes that Taliban officials said were carried out by Pakistan and killed civilians, including children, in Mana, a village in Afghanistan's Khost province, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Saifullah Zahir)

Residents walk among the ruins of mud-brick homes after airstrikes that Taliban officials said were carried out by Pakistan and killed civilians, including children, in Mana, a village in Afghanistan's Khost province, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Saifullah Zahir)

Residents go through the rubble after what Taliban officials said was airstrikes carried out by Pakistan, and killed civilians, including children, in Mana, a village in Afghanistan's Khost province, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Saifullah Zahir)

Mourners pray during a funeral for victims, including children, of airstrikes that Taliban officials said were carried out by Pakistan, in Mana, a village in Afghanistan's Khost province, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Saifullah Zahir)

Residents mourn over the body of a child killed in airstrikes that Taliban officials said were carried out by Pakistan and killed civilians, including children, in Mana, a village in Afghanistan's Khost province, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Saifullah Zahir)

Mourners pray during a funeral for victims, including children, of airstrikes that Taliban officials said were carried out by Pakistan, in Mana, a village in Afghanistan's Khost province, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Saifullah Zahir)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Escalating protests and social tensions in Mexico's capital threaten to derail FIFA World Cup celebrations on the eve of the opening ceremony as protesters block off access to the main plaza set to host the country's main fan celebrations.

Mexico jointly hosts the soccer tournament with the U.S. and Canada and kicks off festivities Thursday with a star-studded event, even as some critics say the government has spent too much time and money catering to international visitors at the residents' expense.

The games begin as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum walks a political tightrope, navigating a deteriorating relationship with the U.S. ahead of July trade negotiations, along with political scandals and security concerns following a burst of violence in a World Cup host city in February.

Pressure has mounted as guests flood into Mexico City. The government has faced criticism by residents who say authorities have prioritized the competition over pressing social needs.

On the eve of the opening ceremonies, a teachers' protest camp effectively blocked off access to Mexico City's main square, a hub for festivities, adding to uncertainty.

“Mexico wants to project an image to the world that doesn’t exactly square with reality,” said Carlos Pérez Ricart, a political analyst at the Mexican Center for Research and Economic Education. “The World Cup is putting the president in a vulnerable situation … The government is under extreme pressure.”

FIFA's logo, orange Mexican marigold flowers, giant soccer balls and other decorations line streets across Mexico’s capital and the two other host cities, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Fans buzzed with excitement as they strolled through Mexico City's streets.

The competition is expected to bring in $3 billion for hotels, restaurants and sports venues, according to the Mexican Soccer Federation.

Thursday's inauguration and opening match, where Mexico will face off against South Africa, are expected to draw more viewers than much of the competition, with Colombian superstar Shakira and others scheduled to perform.

If all goes off without a hitch, it will be a feather in Sheinbaum's cap, said Pérez Ricart, showing the world that Mexico is “modern and capable of organizing high impact events.”

Mexican authorities have fortified security following violence that paralyzed host city Guadalajara in February. More than 100,000 soldiers, sailors, National Guard members and police officers are expected to be deployed across the three host cities, yet social tensions have posed the greatest obstacle, particularly in Mexico City.

For more than a week, the country’s teachers' union has toppled World Cup statues and blocked roads in an annual push for better working conditions. Families of Mexico’s more than 130,000 missing people have hung flyers of their loved ones and said authorities should focus on addressing humanitarian crises in Mexico.

"We’re not against the ball game,” said Luis Antonio Rosales Narváez, a protest organizer. But “they should be investing in education ... not giving the city a makeover.”

Sheinbaum has denied there was any social unrest ahead of the tournament, but on Wednesday she acknowledged that the World Cup's main fan festival – set up by FIFA in Mexico City's main square – may be shut down on opening day.

Teachers have set up tent camps on streets surrounding the plaza, making it difficult for thousands of people to access the venue.

“If for some reason the Zócalo cannot be used for the opening, there are 18 venues where people can watch it free of charge,” Sheinbaum said.

“Everything is under control,” she added.

Airports across the Americas were filled with fans. Panama City's airport — one of the main gateways between North and South America — was a sea of multicolored jerseys from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Germany and elsewhere.

“This year we’re defending the title, and we’ll follow Argentina to the ends of the earth,” shouted Emilio Sosa, a 29-year-old from Buenos Aires on his way to Los Angeles.

David Botero, a 43-year-old Colombian, was traveling to Mexico City with his family to watch Colombia’s opening match on June 17 against Uzbekistan.

“What matters is that we’ll get to see our team up close," Botero said.

Others, like 66-year-old Dr. Jose Luis Muñoz, struck a more skeptical tone as he read and smoked a cigarette next to a park in downtown Mexico City that once teemed with street vendors. It has since been cleared out by authorities in an effort to clean up the streets.

Muñoz said some of his fondest memories were taking his children to games during Mexico’s 1986 World Cup and celebrating their home team's winning streak.

“I was so excited, and that joy I passed on to my children,” he said.

This year, though, he was priced out from attending games. Tickets cost hundreds of dollars.

“The prices are sky-high. Many people aren’t going to be able to go unless they’re foreigners with a lot of money,” Muñoz said. “It feels very discriminatory."

Still, he added, he will root for Mexico's team from home with his children and grandchildren.

Associated Press journalists Nayara Batschke and María Verza contributed to this report from Mexico City.

Striking teachers march toward the stadium that will host the opening match of the FIFA World Cup in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

A dancer performs along Reforma Avenue in Mexico City, Saturday, June 6, 2026 ahead of the FIFA World Cup. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

Fences block teachers from setting up camp in the Zocalo as they protest for salary increases in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Police block an avenue to prevent protesting teachers from marching to the stadium that will host the opening match of the FIFA World Cup in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Aztlán Tenochtitlan plays ulama, a traditional Mesoamerican ball game dating back to pre-Hispanic times in Mexico City, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)