Pakistani air strikes kill civilians in three Afghan provinces, Taliban says 13 dead including 11 children
Pakistan launched overnight air strikes across three eastern Afghan provinces, killing at least 13 people including 11 children, according to Afghanistan's Taliban government. Pakistan's information minister said the strikes killed 26 militants.
What happened
Pakistani military aircraft struck targets in the Afghan provinces of Kunar, Khost and Paktika late on Tuesday, according to Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. He said the strikes killed 13 people: 11 children, one woman and one elderly man. Fourteen other women and children were wounded. An official in Khost province told AFP that a house in Spera district was hit, killing nine and wounding 10. In Paktika's Barmal district, two residents said a separate attack killed three civilians, all children.
We strongly condemn this humanitarian crime and act of aggression.
Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar gave a different account. He said four targets were destroyed in "calibrated strikes" that killed 26 militants. The targets included a training centre and an ammunition cache, he said, describing them as "hideouts and safe havens" on the border.
Pakistan has always strived for maintaining peace and stability in the region, but at the same time the safety and security of our citizens remains our top priority.
The immediate trigger
The air strikes came one day after suspected Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters attacked a security checkpoint in the Hasan Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwestern Pakistan. Pakistan's Interior Ministry said the militants attempted to seize the post, triggering a gun battle that left six Frontier Constabulary personnel dead and several others wounded.
A conflict that has killed hundreds
The latest escalation is the first since February, when fighting at the border left hundreds dead on both sides. In late February, Islamabad declared it was in "open war" with Kabul following a rise in militant attacks on civilians and security forces inside Pakistan. Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani air strikes. The two countries agreed a ceasefire in March, with China hosting peace talks, but the deal collapsed after both sides accused the other of violating it.
- Pakistan and Afghanistan agree a ceasefire following weeks of deadly clashes
- Fighting erupts at the border, leaving hundreds dead; Islamabad declares 'open war' with Kabul
- Ceasefire agreed in March with China hosting peace talks
- UN reports 372 Afghan civilians killed and 397 wounded in the first three months of 2026
- TTP attack on a Pakistani security checkpoint in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa kills six Frontier Constabulary personnel
- Pakistan launches air strikes on Kunar, Khost and Paktika; Taliban says 13 civilians killed
A United Nations report in May estimated that at least 372 Afghan civilians died and 397 were wounded in the conflict during the first three months of 2026.
The core dispute
Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of harbouring TTP fighters who carry out deadly attacks on Pakistani soil. The Taliban government rejects the allegation, saying militancy in Pakistan is an internal problem and that Afghan territory is not being used to threaten other countries. Afghan officials counter that Pakistan harbours hostile groups and does not respect Afghanistan's sovereignty. Relations have been fraught since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
International response
World leaders have called on both nations to cease hostilities. The UN report documenting civilian casualties has added pressure, though no new diplomatic initiative was announced following Tuesday's strikes.
