KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has confirmed that at least 28 civilians, including women and children, were killed and 49 others wounded in Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan.
In a statement on Monday, UNAMA stated the strikes hit the provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar on Sunday evening at around 11:30 p.m. local time.
The deadliest incident was in Chamkani district of Paktia, where at least 22 civilians died, and 47 were injured. Six civilians were killed in Gyan district of Paktika, while two children were wounded in Marawara district of Kunar, according to UNAMA.
The UN mission said it was continuing to verify the incidents.
The mission reiterated its call for all parties to respect international humanitarian law principles of precaution, distinction, and proportionality to protect civilians. It offered condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Earlier, Taliban authorities reported higher casualties, saying at least 36 civilians were killed and 163 wounded in the strikes. Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said the attacks hit civilian homes, destroying three houses, with women and children among the victims. The Taliban condemned the strikes as a “cowardly act of aggression” and “an act of brutality,” vowing to retaliate in due time.
Pakistan confirmed the airstrikes, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar describing them as an “intelligence-based” and “precise” operation targeting hideouts of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and its breakaway faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. Tarar said 25 militants were killed and large quantities of weapons and ammunition destroyed. He said the strikes were in response to recent terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, including a deadly assault in Karachi on Saturday.
The latest strikes mark another escalation in strained relations between Pakistan and the Taliban authorities. Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of allowing TTP fighters to use Afghan territory to plan and launch attacks inside Pakistan, an allegation the Taliban deny.
Cross-border violence has intensified since late last year. According to UNAMA, at least 372 civilians were killed and 397 wounded in Pakistani airstrikes and border clashes in the first three months of 2026. The mission also verified 13 civilian deaths and 10 injuries from Pakistani strikes on Khost, Kunar, and Paktika on June 9 and 10.
Despite mediation efforts by countries including China, Russia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, the two sides have yet to reach a ceasefire agreement.
