Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of carrying out ground and air attacks across their shared border that resulted in at least 36 civilian deaths and left more than 160 others wounded. The latest escalation in hostilities occurred on Sunday night amid ongoing tensions between the two neighbors.
Pakistani forces initiated the strikes following militant attacks inside Pakistan, claiming to have killed 29 militants and destroyed weapons and ammunition. Afghan officials, however, dispute this figure and say the majority of those killed were civilians. A Taliban spokesman reported that a strike on a family home in Paktia province, south of Kabul, killed an elderly man and a child. When neighbors arrived to assist the injured, another strike reportedly struck the group, killing 28 villagers and wounding 158 more. Additionally, six civilians—mostly women and children—were killed in a village in Paktika province, which lies along the border with Pakistan, according to Taliban sources.
The attacks come amid a protracted conflict that has escalated since February. Pakistan and Afghanistan have a history of mutual accusations, with Islamabad alleging that Kabul supports the Pakistani Taliban—a separate but allied group—while Kabul points to Pakistani support for the Afghan Taliban. Pakistan further alleges that India backs both Taliban factions, a charge India denies. These tensions have persisted despite a brief ceasefire, which Pakistan terminated three weeks ago before resuming operations against what it describes as militant hideouts within Afghanistan.
The cross-border violence has resulted in hundreds of casualties on both sides. Notably, a Pakistani strike on a drug rehabilitation clinic in Kabul drew international condemnation for its civilian toll. Recent militant attacks inside Pakistan, including an assault that killed three militiamen in Karachi, have been cited by Islamabad as justification for its incursions. Pakistani authorities reported arresting an Afghan suspect in connection with these attacks who allegedly admitted Taliban membership.
Efforts to de-escalate the conflict, including China-hosted peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, have so far failed to yield progress. Analysts note that some in Pakistan may view the military offensive as a means to strengthen ties with the United States, which imposed sanctions on Afghanistan following the U.S. military withdrawal in 2021. The complex interplay of regional rivalries and militant activity continues to drive instability along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.