UN Mission Confirms 13 Civilian Deaths After Pakistani Airstrikes in Eastern Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan — The United Nations mission in Afghanistan said Thursday it had documented the deaths of 13 civilians, mostly women and children, in Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan the previous day, confirming the toll reported by Afghan authorities.

Pakistan had rejected a statement by Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid as propaganda. Mujahid said Wednesday that strikes in Khost, Kunar and Paktika provinces killed 13 civilians, including 11 children, one woman and one man.

The attacks disrupted a month of relative calm after Islamabad described the situation between the two neighbors as an “open war.” The conflict has continued despite repeated international efforts to secure a lasting peace.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, known as UNAMA, said in a post on X that it had “documented 13 civilian deaths and 10 injuries, mainly children and women, from airstrikes” overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday.

“UNAMA reiterates its call for de-escalation, a durable ceasefire, protection of civilians, reopening of border crossings particularly for humanitarian assistance, and dialogue to resolve differences,” the mission said. The border has remained closed for months, disrupting trade and transportation and leaving thousands of people stranded.

Hundreds of people have been killed in fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan since February, when Afghanistan attacked Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghan territory. Several rounds of internationally mediated peace talks have failed to produce a lasting truce.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants who carry out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, particularly the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. The group is separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban, which has governed Afghanistan since taking power in 2021 after the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces. Kabul denies the accusation.

Pakistan said it carried out strikes along the Afghan border on Wednesday to target militant camps and hideouts.

At a weekly news briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Thursday the strikes were conducted in response to multiple recent militant attacks inside Pakistan.

“We carried out these strikes to target safe havens, masterminds and planners belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij,” Andrabi said, using a term the Pakistani government applies to the Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups. “We acted on credible intelligence, and there was selective targeting of their hideouts.”

Andrabi said the safety of Pakistanis remained the government’s top priority and that operations against militants would continue. “We continue to undertake military strikes with precision and accuracy, eliminating terrorist hideouts,” he said.

He declined to comment directly on the U.N. report about civilian casualties, saying authorities would need to review its contents. He also questioned the U.N. methodology for documenting the deaths.

“What is their methodology for measuring that?” Andrabi said. “Our strikes were precise and targeted at the hideouts and camps of these terrorists.”

Pakistan declared in February that it was in an “open war” with Afghanistan following a surge in militant attacks on its civilians and security forces. The fighting has been concentrated mainly along the border, though Pakistan has also carried out airstrikes on Kabul.

In March, an airstrike hit a drug-treatment center in the Afghan capital. Afghan officials said more than 400 people were killed, while Pakistan disputed the toll and denied targeting civilians, saying it had struck an ammunition depot.

Wednesday’s strikes came months after China hosted peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Beijing later said the two sides had agreed not to escalate their conflict and to explore a solution.

Pakistani authorities have said China and several other friendly countries continue to encourage both sides to reach an agreement for durable peace.

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