At least 47 people have been killed in eastern Afghanistan following aerial attacks attributed to Pakistan, according to Afghan officials and local sources.
The strikes struck the provinces of Khost and Kunar, reportedly targeting alleged militant positions but causing substantial civilian damage.
According to Shabir Ahmad Osmani, who serves as the director of information and culture in Khost, “forty-one civilians, mainly women and children, were killed, and 22 others were wounded in air strikes by Pakistani forces near the Durand Line in Khost province.”
Meanwhile, an Afghan official confirmed that six others lost their lives in Kunar province during the same operation.
Images aired by TOLO News, Afghanistan’s leading broadcaster, showed lifeless bodies of children and scenes of anguish in affected districts.
Residents protested by taking to the streets in Khost, chanting anti-Pakistan slogans and denouncing what they described as indiscriminate bombardment.
Pakistan’s military has not issued an official statement confirming the strikes. However, Pakistan’s foreign ministry previously accused militant groups of using Afghan territory as a launchpad for attacks, demanding that Taliban authorities in Kabul undertake “stern actions” against such elements.
The timing of the raids coincides with rising tensions along the porous Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghan territory of harbouring members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant affiliates, charges which Kabul denies.
In April 2022, this cross-border dynamic had frequently erupted into violence, especially in border districts of Khost and Kunar.
Analysts note that while Islamabad may view such strikes as pre-emptive or retaliatory measures against militant sanctuaries, the high number of civilian deaths risks inflaming anti-Pakistan sentiment and complicating diplomatic ties.
The Taliban authorities, now ruling Afghanistan, are caught in a delicate position: condemning the attacks while balancing internal security and claims of sovereignty.
One commentator, Imtiaz Gul, has argued that Pakistan considers the TTP and allied groups to be existential threats to its internal security, pressing Islamabad to act even at the cost of civilian harm across the border.
As of this writing, independent verification of the full scope of casualties remains limited. Humanitarian groups and the United Nations have in past incidents called for rigorous investigations into civilian losses during cross-border operations.
For the local populace in the bombarded districts, the immediate fallout is palpable: mourning families, destroyed homes, and a deepening sense of insecurity.
In the broader geopolitical arena, the incident threatens to further strain relations between Pakistan and the Taliban government in Kabul, just as both sides face pressure to curb violence and engage diplomatically.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Wikipedia, The Cradle
