KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says at least 13 civilians have been killed following recent Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan.
In a statement issued on Monday (23 February), UNAMA said the strikes targeted areas in the districts of Behsud and Khogyani in Nangarhar province, killing at least 13 civilians, including women and children, and injuring seven others.
UNAMA also reported that Pakistan carried out strikes on a religious madrasa in Barmal district and on “a vacant private residential house.” in Urgon district of Paktika province. No civilian casualties were reported in those two attacks.
According to UNAMA, a mosque located near the madrasa in Barmal district was damaged during the strike.
The UN mission called on all parties to permanently end hostilities in order to protect civilians. In the last three months of 2025, UNAMA documented 70 civilian deaths and 478 injuries in Afghanistan attributed to Pakistani military forces. Most of these civilian casualties occurred between 10 and 17 October 2025, a period of escalated cross-border tensions between the de facto security forces of Afghanistan and Pakistani military
forces which resulted in over 500 civilian casualties in Afghanistan (47 killed, 456 injured). UNAMA, cross-border civilian casualties in Afghanistan: October-December 2025 (PDF).
UNAMA has systematically documented civilian casualties in Afghanistan from cross-border clashes with Pakistani military forces since 2011. Civilian casualties recorded between 1 October, and 31 December 2025 far exceed civilian casualties recorded annually from cross-border clashes with Pakistan in previous years.
Pakistan’s military carried out strikes on seven locations in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces on Saturday night (21 February). Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said the operations targeted camps and hideouts of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and ISIL.
The Taliban authorities, however, said civilian homes had been targeted. According to Taliban figures, at least 17 people, including 11 children, were killed in Nangarhar province, and five others were injured.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari described the strikes as Pakistan’s “inherent right” of self-defence against cross-border terrorism, saying the country’s tolerance had reached its limit. In a statement released by his spokesperson, he warned that allowing armed groups to operate with impunity beyond national borders would have consequences for innocent civilians globally. He also accused the Taliban authorities of failing to take verifiable action against militant groups operating from Afghan territory, despite repeated warnings.
