Pakistan stands exposed: Children among those killed in airstrikes on Afghanistan
Military airstrikes in Kunar and Helmand provinces have killed at least 10 civilians, including children, according to UNAMA and Afghan officials.
Pakistan has faced intense international scrutiny following fresh military airstrikes in Afghanistan that resulted in the deaths of numerous civilians, including several children. The strikes, which targeted the Kunar and Helmand provinces, have once again highlighted the heavy humanitarian cost of Islamabad’s cross-border military operations.
UNAMA confirms civilian casualties
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) provided confirmation of the tragedy via a post on X. According to the mission, at least 10 civilians were killed in the recent bombardments, with a significant number of the victims being children. Furthermore, UNAMA reported that nine other individuals sustained injuries during the strikes.
Destruction of residential areas
The Afghan government has echoed these reports, describing the attacks as a direct assault on residential zones. Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesperson for the Afghan government, stated that the bombardment obliterated three houses located within the Kunar and Helmand provinces.
In a formal statement shared on social media, Mujahid condemned the military actions, labeling them as an unjustified aggression and a crime that violates all accepted international principles. He noted that the strikes claimed the lives of at least nine people, including women and children.
A pattern of escalating border tensions
These latest incidents are part of a growing cycle of hostility between the two South Asian neighbors. The strikes follow a series of unauthorized aerial operations conducted by Pakistan inside sovereign Afghan territory, often linked to long-standing border disputes.
Recent history shows a rapid escalation in these military maneuvers:
- Last Thursday: Pakistan conducted what it termed "precision" aerial and drone strikes at 10 different locations in Afghanistan. Federal Information Minister Atauallah Tarar claimed these were a response to drones launched from Afghan soil.
- Previous Strikes: Earlier reports indicated that airstrikes in the Kunar and Paktika provinces had already claimed the lives of three civilians.
Afghan government vows response
The Afghan government has accused the Pakistani military establishment of committing these "crimes" to divert attention from its own internal security challenges. Spokesperson Mujahid emphasized that the targeting of civilian areas, including houses and local shops, is a repetitive pattern of oppression.
"Afghans will give an appropriate response to this aggression, God willing," Mujahid asserted, signaling that the Afghan government intends to respond to the recent military incursions.