KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Rawadari, a human rights organization, has condemned Pakistan’s recent attacks on the Afghan provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar, saying that attacks on residential areas resulting in civilian casualties may constitute war crimes.
In a statement issued today (Tuesday, June 30), the organization said that, based on information received and interviews with victims’ family members, the Pakistani strikes targeted residential areas.
According to the statement, two consecutive attacks were carried out in Paktia province. During the first attack, “residential houses” were hit, while the second strike targeted people who had gone to provide assistance, increasing the number of civilian casualties.
Rawadari said that attacks on residential areas that result in civilian casualties constitute a clear violation of international humanitarian law and could amount to a war crime.
The organization further stated that targeting civilians and humanitarian responders violates the principles of distinction, precaution, and military necessity under international humanitarian law, as well as the Four Geneva Conventions.
According to the organization, under the laws governing armed conflict, parties to a conflict are obligated to distinguish between military and civilian targets and to take all feasible precautions to prevent excessive harm, particularly to minimize civilian casualties.
Rawadari called on the international community and international accountability mechanisms to thoroughly document these incidents, take immediate steps to bring those responsible to justice, and adopt preventive measures to ensure that similar attacks are not repeated.
Pakistan carried out fresh strikes on targets in the Afghan provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar on Sunday night.
Pakistan confirmed the operation, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar describing it as an “intelligence-based” and “precise” strike targeting hideouts of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and its breakaway faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. He said 25 militants were killed and large quantities of weapons and ammunition destroyed in response to recent terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, including a deadly assault in Karachi on Saturday.
The Taliban said the attacks struck civilian homes, killing 36 people and injuring another 163.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed that 28 civilians were killed and 49 others injured in the attacks, adding that women and children were among the victims.
The latest airstrikes mark another escalation in the deteriorating relationship between Pakistan and the Taliban authorities. The current cycle of cross-border military actions began in October last year and intensified sharply in February, resulting in hundreds of civilian casualties and heightened tensions along the frontier.
The border crossings between the two neighbors have remained largely closed since October, disrupting trade, cross-border travel, and humanitarian operations that rely on access through Pakistan.
Islamabad accuses the Taliban of harboring TTP leaders and militants, who it says use Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban reject the allegations, saying no such groups operate from Afghanistan and that Pakistan should address its security issues internally.
