D001-AFGANISTAN DAÑOS BOMBARDEO PAKISTAN

Villagers and soldiers in Afghanistan's Nangarhar on Sunday (February 22) rummaged through rubble and debris of buildings destroyed in Pakistan strikes a day earlier, which the ruling Taliban said had killed and injured dozens of people including women and children.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the remarks, while the Taliban's defence ministry vowed an appropriate response at a suitable time.

Pakistan said it launched strikes on militant targets in Afghanistan after blaming recent suicide bombings, including assaults during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, on fighters it said were operating from its neighbor's territory.

The strikes bring a sharp escalation in tension just days after Kabul released three Pakistani soldiers in a Saudi-mediated move to ratchet down worries following months of clashes along the rugged frontier.

The attacks featured "intelligence-based selective targeting of seven terrorist camps and hideouts" belonging to the Pakistani Taliban as well as Islamic State Khorasan Province along the Afghan border, Pakistan's information ministry said.

In a statement, it added that it had "conclusive evidence" the attacks were carried out by Khwarij, employing a term by which it refers to the Pakistani Taliban. They were acting on instructions from "their Afghanistan-based leadership and handlers," the ministry said in Saturday's statement.

Kabul has repeatedly denied allowing militants to use Afghan territory to stage attacks in Pakistan.