Pakistani missile attacks on Afghanistan kill four people, injure 70, including children, women, students...

Mortar and rocket attacks by Pakistan into Afghanistan killed four people on Monday and wounded 70 others, the Taliban government said, as fighting between the two countries flared up again and threatened to derail fragile peace talks.

According to Reuters, the Pakistani government dismissed the allegations as "continuous propaganda".

Among the injured were about 30 students, women and children, in the attacks that hit homes and Syed Jamaluddin Afghani University in Asadabad, Kunar province, said Taliban deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat.

"We strongly condemn these attacks by the Pakistani military regime, which targeted ordinary people, academic and educational institutions, and declare them unforgivable war crimes," he said in a post on the X network.

Pakistan's Information Ministry said on the same network that the Afghan government's allegations were false.

"Whenever and wherever Pakistan targets terrorist infrastructure on Afghan territory, it will be as before - clearly announced, with full responsibility and supported by precise evidence of targeting infrastructure that supports terrorism," it said.

The Pakistani military did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

The fiercest fighting in years erupted between the former allies, now adversaries, in February, when Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan that Islamabad said were aimed at militant strongholds.

Islamabad claims that Kabul is providing sanctuary to militants who launch attacks on Pakistan from its territory. The Taliban have denied this, saying that the militancy problem in Pakistan is an internal matter for that country.

More than 400 people were killed in a Pakistani attack on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul last month, according to the Taliban, before neighboring countries suspended fighting. Pakistan has rejected the claims, saying it was “precisely targeting military installations and infrastructure supporting terrorism.”

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan estimated the death toll at 143.

China, which has been mediating between the two countries, said earlier this month that during peace talks in Urumqi they agreed to explore a comprehensive solution to the conflict.

The clashes calmed down after the announcement of negotiations in Urumqi, but there were reports of minor incidents.

Three people were killed on April 18 in mortar shelling by Afghan forces in Pakistan's northern Bajaur region, security officials said.