Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of deadly airstrikes killing 9 civilians

Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government has accused Pakistan of carrying out overnight airstrikes that killed nine civilians, including women and children, and injured 11 others in two provinces.

According to Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Pakistani aircraft bombed civilian homes late Wednesday night in the Chogam (also spelled Chugam) area of Shultan district in northeastern Kunar province and the Safar area of Garmser (Garmsir) district in southern Helmand province. He said three houses were destroyed in the attacks.

In a post on X, Mujahid described the strikes as a “crime” and “aggression” that violated “all accepted principles.” He shared photos appearing to show the aftermath of the bombings.

Pakistan confirmed conducting airstrikes but offered a sharply different account. The country’s Ministry of Information said the military carried out “planned and calibrated” or “selective targeting” of terrorist camps and hideouts at two locations inside Afghanistan, based on credible intelligence. Officials claimed the strikes killed at least 22 fighters (described as “terrorists” or militants) and destroyed weapons and ammunition.

Independent verification of the competing casualty claims was not immediately available. The strikes mark a fresh escalation in tensions between the two neighbors after a period of relative calm lasting roughly three months. Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of providing safe haven to militant groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), that launch cross-border attacks on Pakistani soil—a charge Kabul consistently denies, insisting that militancy is an internal Pakistani problem.

Relations between the former allies have deteriorated significantly since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, with intermittent cross-border fighting, airstrikes, and clashes throughout 2026.