KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban foreign ministry said on Tuesday it has summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires in Kabul to protest strikes in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province that the UN confirmed killed and wounded dozens of civilians.
In a statement, the ministry stated that it called in Pakistani diplomat Abdul Rahman Nizamani over the attacks, which it said violated Afghanistan’s airspace and targeted civilians in breach of territorial integrity and international norms.
The ministry said it “strongly condemned” the strikes, adding that a formal protest note was handed to the Pakistani diplomat. The ministry also rejected Pakistan’s claims that violence originates from Afghanistan and urged that the causes of the situation be carefully examined.
The statement said the Taliban reserves the “right to defend its territory and people,” warning Pakistan to avoid further strikes and saying continued “irresponsible actions” could have serious consequences.
Pakistan carried out strikes on Monday afternoon in parts of Kunar, including the provincial capital Asadabad, and the campus of Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University, according to Taliban authorities and local sources. Taliban figures put the toll at least seven people killed and 85 wounded, many of them women and children.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan confirmed that dozens of civilians were killed or injured in multiple locations hit, including a university, but did not provide exact casualty figures or name the perpetrator. It called for the protection of civilians and adherence to international humanitarian law.
Pakistan rejected reports that it targeted the university, calling them “a blatant lie.” Its information ministry said the operation was “precise and intelligence-based” and accused the Afghan Taliban of trying to “gain sympathy and divert attention” from alleged support for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP.
The strikes come amid a sharp escalation in cross-border tensions that has intensified since late 2025. Islamabad says it is targeting bases of the Pakistani Taliban, also known as TTP, which it accuses of carrying out attacks inside Pakistan from Afghan territory, an allegation the Taliban authorities deny.
A ceasefire brokered by regional countries briefly reduced violence earlier this year, but collapsed in late February 2026, triggering a renewed cycle of strikes and retaliatory measures along the border.
Since then, fighting has spread across several frontier areas, with repeated reports of civilian casualties, displacement, and damage to homes, schools, and clinics. United Nations figures indicate that at least 76 civilians were killed and 213 were injured between Feb. 26 and mid-March.
Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation have so far failed. Countries including Russia, China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia have called for restraint and dialogue, but clashes continue, raising concerns of further instability along the border.
