Taliban says Pakistani airstrikes kill 13 civilians in eastern Afghanistan

At least 13 civilians including 11 children were killed in Pakistani military airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan according to the Taliban administration which accused Pakistan of carrying out attacks on residential areas in Kunar Khost and Paktika provinces reported IANSTaliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Wednesday that the strikes took place on Tuesday night and also left 14 women and children injured The Taliban condemned the attacks describing them as a violation of Afghanistans sovereignty and a humanitarian crime reported IANSTaliban accuses Pakistan of targeting civilian areasIn a statement posted on social media platform X Mujahid said Pakistani military aircraft had entered Afghan airspace and bombed civilian homes in multiple provinces reported IANSAccording to the Taliban the victims included 11 children one woman and one elderly man The injured were reported to be women and children living in the affected areasThe Taliban administration strongly criticised the operation and accused Pakistan of repeatedly violating Afghan airspace despite growing international concern over civilian casualties resulting from crossborder military actionsBorder tensions continue to escalateThe latest strikes come amid worsening relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan with both countries accusing each other of failing to prevent militant activities along their shared borderOver the past several months tensions have escalated through repeated exchanges of fire military operations and accusations of crossborder incursions Despite diplomatic contacts and mediation efforts by local tribal leaders there has been little progress in reducing hostilitiesSecurity concerns along the porous border have remained a major source of friction between the two neighbouring countries with each side blaming the other for instability and armed attacksRecent attacks have raised concerns over civilian casualtiesThe latest incident follows reports of another Pakistani military operation in Afghanistans Kunar province last month According to Taliban officials strikes in the Dangam district killed three people and injured 14 othersLocal authorities alleged that civilian infrastructure including schools mosques and a healthcare facility was damaged during the operation A district official claimed that two schools two mosques and a clinic were destroyed while dozens of livestock were also killed reported IANSTaliban officials further alleged that multiple educational institutions have been damaged during military operations in Kunar province over recent months although these claims have not been independently verified reported IANSUN report highlights impact of crossborder violenceThe latest escalation comes against the backdrop of growing concerns raised by the United Nations regarding civilian casualties linked to crossborder hostilitiesAccording to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan UNAMA at least 372 civilians were killed and 397 injured between January and March 2026 due to violence involving Afghan and Pakistani security forcesThe UN mission documented more than 750 civilian casualties during the threemonth period attributing many of them to airstrikes and military operations carried out along the AfghanistanPakistan borderCalls for restraint amid worsening security situationUNAMA noted that some of the deadliest incidents occurred following Pakistans launch of Operation Ghazab lilHaq on February 26 The report highlighted a major airstrike on March 16 that reportedly hit the Omid Drug Rehabilitation Hospital in Kabul resulting in significant casualtiesAccording to the UN findings the victims of crossborder violence included men women and children underlining the growing humanitarian cost of the conflict reported IANSThe latest strikes are likely to further strain relations between Kabul and Islamabad at a time when regional and international observers have been urging both sides to avoid escalation and prioritise diplomatic engagement With civilian casualties continuing to mount concerns are growing that the border conflict could deepen instability across the regionWith inputs from IANS