A mosque in Pakistan’s Bajaur district was severely damaged after Afghan Taliban forces shelled the area during cross-border fighting, raising serious concerns about the targeting of religious sites amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
According to security sources, the roof and several parts of the mosque were badly affected when shells landed in the area. No immediate reports of casualties were released, but the incident has raised serious concerns among residents.
The mosque attack came during intense fighting along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The Afghan Taliban’s hostility towards Islam has been exposed as they targeted a mosque in Bajaur as well. The Afghan Taliban’s shelling severely damaged the mosque’s roof and other parts.
Following heavy losses, the Afghan Taliban allegedly began targeting civilian areas, injuring five people, including three women, in Bajaur’s Laghari area. Mortar shells also damaged a mosque, affecting its roof and structure.
The attack on the mosque happened after Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab-Lil-Haq in response to repeated cross-border attacks by militants. Security sources confirmed that during recent cross-border aggression, the Taliban shelled a mosque in Bajaur, severely damaging its roof and other structures. Pakistani security forces are responding decisively to these attacks.
Pakistani officials strongly condemned the targeting of religious sites. Religious sites were not spared, with a mosque sustaining significant structural damage from Taliban shelling, underscoring the unrelenting and reckless nature of their aggression.
The damage to the mosque came after weeks of escalating violence. Earlier in February, a suicide bomber attacked a Shia mosque in Islamabad during Friday prayers, killing 36 people. Days later, another attack in Bajaur killed 11 Pakistani soldiers and a child.
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar emphasized that Pakistan would continue responding decisively to protect its citizens and border areas. Pakistani forces have destroyed multiple Taliban positions and posts along the border in retaliation for the unprovoked attacks.
The targeting of a mosque during the holy month of Ramadan has shocked local communities and raised international concerns about the protection of religious sites during conflict. District residents expressed fear and anger that a place of worship became a target during cross-border fighting.
