Pakistani Airstrikes in Afghanistan Kill at Least 10 Civilians, UN Says

At least 10 civilians, most of them children, were killed in Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Helmand provinces, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Thursday, October 1.

UNAMA said nine other people were injured. Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government reported a different toll, saying the strikes killed nine people and injured 11. The casualty figures differ between the Afghan government and the UN mission.

Pakistan said its forces struck militant hideouts at two locations. The country’s Ministry of Information said initial reports indicated that 22 militants had been killed and weapons and ammunition destroyed. The claim could not be independently verified, according to Reuters.

Strikes hit Kunar and Helmand

The airstrikes took place overnight in Kunar, in eastern Afghanistan, and Helmand, in the south. Afghan officials said homes were hit and that women and children were among those killed.

Pakistan described the locations as militant hideouts. Its account of the targets and reported militant deaths has not been independently verified.

UNAMA confirmed at least 10 civilian deaths, most of them children, and nine injuries. The mission called for de-escalation, dialogue, respect for international law and measures to prevent further civilian harm.

Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan

The strikes come amid renewed tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Islamabad has accused Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government of allowing armed groups, including Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from Afghan territory and carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul denies the accusation and says militancy is Pakistan’s internal problem.

The countries have experienced repeated cross-border clashes. A militant attack on a police facility in northwestern Pakistan last month, which killed 24 people, was among the events that heightened tensions, Reuters reported.

UNAMA said it had documented more than 1,100 civilian deaths and injuries in Afghanistan from cross-border armed violence so far in 2026. That figure includes both people killed and people injured.

The civilian toll from Thursday’s strikes remains disputed between Afghan authorities and UNAMA. Pakistan’s claim that 22 militants were killed has not been independently confirmed.

BBNN will update this report if authorities or the United Nations release further verified information.