An air campaign that began at dawn on Sunday has killed at least 28 Afghan civilians, the United Nations’ Afghan Mission (UNAMA) confirmed Tuesday.
The strikes, carried out by Pakistan’s air force and a ground contingent, targeted the border provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Kunar, the U.S‑sent body said, dismissing the report as a “cowardly act” and an “atrocity”.
The deadliest blow was dealt in the village of Mandokhail, near the Pakistan‑Afghan frontier, where women, children and the elderly were caught in the blast. Local residents told AFP that evacuees at the hospital still struggle to recover from the trauma.
Pakistan said it had destroyed 29 militants for an alleged “terrorist attack” and held that the operations were limited to rebel hide‑outs. The Taliban echoed that the attack had harmed civilians and called it a war criminal act.
This conflict follows the October ceasefire agreement that unstipulated, setting the stage for a week‑long surge of border attacks that killed dozens of people.
While the UN report cites over 48 civilians injured, the Taliban claims 160 wounded and 36 deaths. The figures vary among the parties, reflecting a pattern of disputed narratives.
The Pakistani paramilitary Sindh Rangers suffered a separate attack the day before, a suicide bombing that killed three soldiers. The Taliban’s Jamaat‑ul‑Ahrar, a splinter group of the Tehrik‑i‑Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack, a group still under international sanctions.
In the wider picture, Kabul has accused Islamabad of “unprovoked attacks on civilians” while Pakistan maintains it only strikes militant hideouts. A new round of air raids could further elevate a fragile border that once helped both nations stop deeper insurgent incursions.
