Pakistan air strikes kill 36 civilians, injure 163 in eastern Afghanistan: Afghan Government

Afghan authorities said on June 29, 2026, that Pakistani air strikes across multiple eastern provinces killed 36 civilians and wounded 163, as Kabul condemned the strikes as a “crime” that targeted residential areas, schools and villages close to the Pakistan border.

The Afghan government’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, posted on social media that strikes overnight hit Gayan district in Paktika, Tsamkani in Paktia and Manogai (Manora/Manogai) in Kunar province, producing the high civilian toll reported by Kabul. Afghan officials described victims as including women and children and accused Islamabad of deliberately striking populated areas.english.

Pakistan’s account differed sharply: Islamabad said its strikes targeted militant hideouts and fighters believed responsible for recent attacks inside Pakistan and gave higher militant casualty figures while disputing Afghan civilian claims. Pakistan’s information ministry described the operations as counter‑terror actions intended to neutralise cross‑border threats.

Independent verification of the Afghan casualty numbers was not immediately available; international monitors and some media outlets have in past incidents documented lower or differing tolls than figures claimed by Kabul or Islamabad. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and other agencies sometimes release separate casualty tallies after on‑ground verification.

Kabul condemned the strikes as violations of Afghan sovereignty and demanded action through diplomatic channels, while Pakistan defended its right to target militant sanctuaries it says operate from Afghan territory. The strikes mark the latest escalation in a campaign of cross‑border operations that has repeatedly inflamed tensions between the two neighbours since early 2026.Local officials and aid groups warned that the strikes worsened an already fragile humanitarian situation in the border provinces, displacing families and complicating relief access to affected villages. Hospitals in the affected districts reported receiving large numbers of injured civilians, stretching medical capacity.english.