Pakistani airstrikes hit Afghan provinces as UN confirms ten civilian deaths

Overnight strikes in Kunar and Helmand

The Pakistani military carried out overnight airstrikes during the early hours of 1 October 2026, striking locations in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar and southern Helmand provinces. Pakistan's Ministry of Information stated that fighter jets conducted planned and targeted raids against two hideouts belonging to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and allied Baloch militant groups under an operation named Ghazab Lail Haq. Islamabad claimed the operation killed 22 militants and destroyed stored caches of weapons and ammunition based on credible intelligence. Afghan Taliban authorities rejected the Pakistani account, stating that the strikes hit civilian dwellings in the Chogam area of Kunar's Sheltan district and the village of Safar in Helmand's Garmsir district. Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid reported that nine civilians, including women and children, were killed, 11 others were injured, and three houses were destroyed.

“We condemn this act, and consider it an act of aggression and a crime that violates all accepted principles.”

Civilian toll and local witness accounts

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported that at least 10 civilians, the majority of them children, died and nine individuals sustained injuries during the strikes in Kunar and Helmand. UNAMA independently verifies casualty reports across Afghan territory following cross-border military actions. Local residents in the affected villages described severe destruction from the aerial strikes. In Kunar's Sheltan district, 30-year-old resident Mohammad Hashim stated the attack struck at approximately 03:00 local time, trapping an injured woman beneath fallen masonry and leaving two men and four children dead in the rubble. Another local resident, 32-year-old Mohammad Habib, identified a deceased victim as an impoverished shepherd with no links to armed groups. In Helmand's Safar village, 50-year-old Abdul Wahid reported four deaths and seven injuries, while 32-year-old resident Qudrat Ullah stated that neighbouring homes were flattened and no military personnel were present.

Taliban initial reported civilian deaths9

UNAMA confirmed civilian deaths10

Pakistan claimed militant deaths22

Taliban initial reported civilian deaths

9 people

UNAMA confirmed civilian deaths

10 people

Pakistan claimed militant deaths

22 people

Data from the article text

Cross-border friction and political reactions

The strikes mark a sharp escalation between the neighbouring countries following three months of relative calm along the border. Islamabad continues to accuse the Taliban administration in Kabul of providing shelter to militant groups who launch attacks against Pakistani security forces, particularly in border provinces where militant fatalities have increased. Afghan officials reject these allegations, arguing that violence inside Pakistan stems from internal issues. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the operation on the social platform X, describing the Pakistani military actions as an aggression and an infringement on Afghan sovereignty. Karzai stated that the Afghan public would unite to defend their homeland and urged Pakistani leaders to pursue civilised bilateral engagement based on good neighbourliness. UNAMA recorded over 1,100 civilian deaths and injuries caused by cross-border violence in Afghanistan throughout 2026.

September aerial exchanges and border clashes

The strikes on 1 October follow a series of aerial and border clashes between both countries in late September 2026. The Pakistani military carried out airstrikes against alleged militant sanctuaries and suicide bombing facilities on 21 September and 24 September across various Afghan provinces. On 23 September, Pakistani state media reported that air defence units intercepted and downed eight incoming drones originating from Afghan airspace. Airstrikes also hit sites in Kandahar province, the political base of the Taliban's supreme leader, during the last week of September. Bilateral friction increased sharply in February 2026, when deadly skirmishes along the border prompted Pakistani officials to declare that Islamabad was in open conflict with Afghanistan.