The United Nations has condemned Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan that killed at least 36 civilians and wounded 163 others, according to Afghan officials. The strikes, which targeted three provinces, mark the latest escalation in cross-border violence between the two countries.
Pakistan's information minister, Attaullah Tarar, said the operations on Sunday night were aimed at the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar militant group, which claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in Karachi that killed three security personnel. Tarar described the action as an 'intelligence-based ground operation' followed by airstrikes targeting terrorist hideouts along the border.
Afghan Taliban spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat reported that strikes hit a home in Paktia province, killing an elderly man and a child, and then struck again as residents gathered, killing 28 villagers. In Paktika province, six people, mostly women and children, were killed, while a strike in Kunar province caused no casualties but killed 30 livestock.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the attacks as a 'cowardly act of aggression', while Afghan authorities have consistently denied harbouring militants. The UN has called for restraint and adherence to international law, urging both sides to avoid civilian casualties.
The conflict has seen unprecedented Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan cities, including Kabul and Kandahar, since the Taliban took power in 2021. Despite mediation efforts by China and Saudi Arabia, the frontier remains largely closed, and tensions continue to simmer.
