Kabul,Oct 2:
At least 10 civilians, most of them children, were killed and nine others injured in Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Helmand provinces, according to the United Nations, in the latest escalation of tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said the casualties occurred in airstrikes carried out on Thursday. It called for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and respect for international law, warning against further civilian casualties. UNAMA said it had documented more than 1,100 civilian deaths and injuries in Afghanistan from cross-border armed violence so far this year.
Pakistan, however, said its aircraft targeted militant hideouts and camps and claimed that 22 militants were killed. Islamabad said weapons and ammunition were destroyed and described the operation as carefully planned and carried out with precision. The claim about the militant casualties could not be independently verified.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government rejected Pakistan’s account and accused it of attacking civilian areas. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said three civilian homes were destroyed in the strikes. Local residents also reported civilian deaths in Kunar.
The latest attacks follow repeated clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Pakistan has long accused the Taliban government of allowing Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, militants to operate from Afghan territory and launch attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies providing a safe haven to the group and rejects Islamabad’s accusations.
The TTP is separate from the Afghan Taliban but is allied with it. The dispute over militant activity has become one of the principal sources of tension between Pakistan and the Taliban government since the latter returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
The United Nations said civilians continued to bear the consequences of the cross-border hostilities and urged both sides to prevent further loss of life. The latest strikes are likely to intensify diplomatic pressure on Islamabad and Kabul to restore dialogue and contain the conflict along their shared frontier.