Kabul: Three civilians were killed and several others injured after Pakistan carried out airstrikes in the Kunar province of Afghanistan early on Monday.
There were airstrikes in the Paktika province as well, Tolo News reported.
Pakistani fighter jets allegedly carried out airstrikes in several areas of Afghanistan. The Rakha and Torkandi areas of Barmal district in Paktika province were targeted in two separate strikes. One strike hit an empty house, while the other struck a former shop, causing damage but no casualties, it was reported.
A separate airstrike in Kunar led to the deaths and injuries. The latest reported strikes come amid a continuing campaign of cross-border Pakistani military action in Afghanistan, adding to the mounting civilian toll.
In its update on the situation in Afghanistan covering April to June 2026, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said that its human rights service documented 399 civilian casualties — 57 killed and 342 injured — between April 1 and June 30 as a result of cross-border armed violence.
The casualties included 40 women, of whom six were killed, and 112 children, including 26 killed and 86 injured.
Airstrikes and ground engagements were the leading causes of civilian harm during the period, the UNAMA said. All civilian casualties it documented in Afghanistan during the April-June period were attributed to Pakistani security forces.
It identified Paktya, Paktika and Kunar among the provinces that recorded the largest number of civilian casualties from airstrikes, as reported by Republic TV.
The UNAMA’s report covering January to March 2026 also documented more than 750 civilian deaths and injuries in Afghanistan resulting from cross-border armed violence between Afghan security forces and Pakistani military forces.
The report says that most of those casualties occurred in February and March. On Saturday, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghanistan has the right to defend its territory against any Pakistani military action, warning Islamabad of a “crushing response” if it carries out strikes inside Afghanistan.
Mujahid rejected Pakistan’s allegations that Afghan territory is being used by militant groups to recruit, train and launch attacks against Pakistan, in an interview with Al Arabiya English.
“If Pakistan invokes Article 51 to violate the sanctity of Afghan territory, Afghanistan has the right to defend its country, and we will do so,” Mujahid said.
He warned that any Pakistani military operation inside Afghanistan would amount to a violation of Afghan sovereignty and could trigger a strong response from Kabul. His remarks came in response to allegations made by a spokesperson for the Pakistan Army in an earlier interview with Al Arabiya English.
