At least 10 civilians, most of them children, were killed and nine injured in airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Helmand provinces…reports Asian Lite News Desk
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 Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The strikes have further escalated tensions between the two neighbouring countries, with Kabul condemning the attacks and accusing Pakistan of targeting civilian areas.
UNAMA confirmed the casualties in a post on X, saying the strikes took place earlier on Thursday.
“UNAMA has confirmed that at least 10 civilians were killed, most of them children, and 9 people injured in airstrikes carried out in #Afghanistan’s Kunar and Helmand provinces earlier today,” the UN mission said.
The Afghan government earlier said the strikes had killed nine people and injured 11 others across Afghan territory. Government chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said residential areas had been targeted, with three houses destroyed in Kunar and Helmand provinces.
Mujahid said women and children were among those killed and strongly condemned the strikes.
“We condemn this act as an aggression and crime in violation of all accepted principles,” he said.
The latest attacks come amid escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with cross-border military operations becoming more frequent in recent months.
Pakistan has previously said its air and drone strikes inside Afghanistan were aimed at militant targets. Last Thursday, Islamabad said it had conducted precision aerial and drone strikes at 10 locations in Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Federal Information Minister Atauallah Tarar said the operation was carried out in response to drones launched from Afghanistan a day earlier. He said the targets were allegedly being used to launch and store drones.
“In exercise of its sovereign right to self-defence, Pakistan conducted precision aerial and drone strikes against 10 locations in Afghanistan used for launching and storing these drones,” Tarar said in a post on X.
The latest strikes follow earlier attacks in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Paktika provinces that reportedly killed three civilians.
According to TOLOnews, the Rakha and Torkandi areas of Barmal district in Paktika province were targeted in two separate strikes, while another attack in Kunar reportedly killed three people and injured several others.
The Afghan government accused Pakistan of targeting civilian areas and described the attacks as a continuation of what it called “crimes” against Afghanistan.
In a post on X, Mujahid said three civilians were killed and four others injured in Kunar. He also said a house and a local shop were damaged in an attack in Paktika, although no casualties were reported in that incident.
“We condemn this aggression and oppression and consider it a repetition of crimes. Pakistan’s military establishment, in order to divert attention from its own internal security failures, has once again committed such a crime. Afghans will give an appropriate response to this aggression, God willing,” he said.
The United Nations has previously raised concerns over the humanitarian impact of cross-border violence in Afghanistan. UNAMA reported last week that it had documented more than 1,100 civilian casualties linked to cross-border violence so far this year.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Afghan government of allowing the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate from Afghan territory. Kabul has rejected the allegations and accused Islamabad of attempting to shift responsibility for its own security problems.
The latest airstrikes are likely to add to already strained relations between the two countries, which share a long and disputed border.
With conflicting accounts over the targets and casualty figures, the humanitarian impact on civilians has emerged as a central concern. The latest UN figures indicate that children and other non-combatants have been among those affected by the continuing cross-border violence.
