War

Pakistani shelling and mortar attacks in four eastern provinces over the past 24 hours have killed four civilians and wounded nine others, the Taliban deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said.
Fitrat said the strikes targeted several districts in the provinces of Nuristan, Khost, Kunar and Paktika.
Fitrat said residential areas in Kamdesh district of Nuristan; Alisher and Zazi Maidan districts of Khost; Nari district of Kunar; and Shakin and Barmal districts of Paktika were hit multiple times by artillery and mortar fire.
One of the attacks occurred Sunday evening in the area known as Afghan Dubi in Spera district of Khost province, where two children were killed and two others were wounded, Fitrat said.
He said several mortar and artillery shells also struck the areas of Landaro and Qadamo in Alisher-Terezai district of Khost, wounding two women. Another artillery round fired toward Landaro wounded one resident, he added.
Fitrat said shells also hit the market area of Zazi Maidan district, a nearby central clinic and the village of Atakhel, wounding four people, including two women and two men. Two of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.
In Gurbaz district of Khost province, he said a mortar shell fired by Pakistani forces struck the village of Nari, killing a woman and a child.
In neighboring Kunar province, artillery fire in the Barikot area of Nari district struck residential homes, setting one house on fire and destroying it, Fitrat said.
He added that in Paktika province, mortar and artillery fire struck evacuated civilian homes and public facilities in Shakin and Barmal districts. Forty-three mortar shells were fired toward Shkin district over the past day, hitting several villages but causing no reported casualties, he said.
Pakistani authorities have not immediately commented on the claims.
The latest incidents come as fighting between Pakistani forces and Taliban has entered its 19th day.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has said that 73 civilians were killed and 193 others wounded during the first two weeks of the clashes, which began Feb. 26.
Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Taliban to take action against militants from the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) allegedly operating from Afghanistan’s territory. Taliban deny that the group is present in Afghanistan. However, a UN monitoring group has reported that TTP has around 6,000 fighters in Afghanistan.