KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it has documented dozens of civilians killed or injured in the latest Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province.
In a post on X on Tuesday, UNAMA said the strikes took place on Monday afternoon in and around Asadabad, the provincial capital, as well as surrounding districts, including a university campus.
UNAMA said international humanitarian law requires the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, including educational institutions. It expressed condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery for those injured.
The latest Pakistani strikes hit multiple locations in Kunar, including Asadabad and parts of Dangam, Manogai and Sarkano districts. The Faculty of Education at Kunar University (Syed Jamaluddin Afghani University) was also struck, damaging the building and injuring at least 30 lecturers and students, according to Taliban authorities.
Taliban authorities said at least seven people were killed and around 75 others wounded, many of them women and children. They said the toll could rise as several of the injured remain in critical condition.
Pakistani officials have not commented on the latest strikes. Islamabad has previously rejected similar reports, describing them as “false” and “frivolous,” and denying that its military targets civilian areas or educational institutions.
The latest strikes are part of an ongoing cycle of cross-border violence between the Taliban and Pakistan that began in October 2025. A fragile ceasefire brokered by regional states briefly halted fighting before it collapsed in late February 2026.
Since then, the conflict has intensified along border regions, with repeated reports of civilian casualties, displacement, and damage to infrastructure. UN figures indicate that at least 76 civilians were killed and 213 were injured between Feb. 26 and mid-March.
On March 16, a Pakistani airstrike hit the Omid (2000-bed) addiction treatment hospital in eastern Kabul, killing at least 143 people and injuring more than 200, according to U.N. data. The incident was condemned by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and international rights groups, which called for an independent and transparent investigation.
Despite repeated calls from countries including Russia, China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia for restraint and dialogue, fighting has continued. Pakistan says it will continue its operation, “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,” targeting bases of the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), along the border region.
