Pakistan Strikes 3 Afghan Provinces, Killing 13 Civilians as Border Tensions Flare Again
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 10
Pakistan Strikes 3 Afghan Provinces, Killing 13 Civilians as Border Tensions Flare Again
3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 10
Summary
13 people were killed and 14 women and children wounded after Pakistani strikes overnight hit civilian homes in Afghanistan's Kunar, Khost and Paktika provinces, according to the Taliban government.
Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani aircraft violated Afghan airspace and bombed residential areas, with earlier casualty details indicating 11 children, one woman and one elderly man among the dead.
Pakistan has said it targets militant hideouts across the border and accuses Kabul of sheltering Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan fighters, a charge the Taliban denies.
The strikes renew months of cross-border clashes between the neighbors, which have already left hundreds dead on both sides despite a fragile March ceasefire.
How can Pakistan and Afghanistan escape their deadly cycle of retaliatory violence?
Will the alleged bombing of a civilian rehab center ever face independent investigation?
As the conflict escalates, can China's mediation protect its massive regional investments?
2026 Afghanistan-Pakistan Conflict: Civilian Deaths, Displacement, and the Breakdown of Regional Diplomacy
Overview
From late February to March 2026, the Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict sharply escalated, leading to a surge in civilian casualties and a worsening humanitarian crisis. Prior to this, UNAMA had already reported dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries, with violence continuing into the new year. The crisis peaked with airstrikes in Kabul, including a devastating attack on a drug rehabilitation hospital, which drew international condemnation and calls for accountability. The conflict caused mass displacement, disrupted essential services, and made humanitarian access difficult, highlighting the severe impact of ongoing hostilities on civilians and the urgent need for de-escalation.