New Delhi, October 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
International figures have condemned Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan that reportedly killed civilians, including children, and called for accountability and an end to attacks on innocent people, according to reports from Kabul.
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan Richard Bennett condemned the airstrikes, stating that there could be no justification for civilian deaths and that those responsible must be held accountable, Pajhwok Afghan News reported on Friday.
“Accountability is paramount after another airstrike that has killed civilians, most of them children. Is this incompetence, negligence or worse? Whatever, there is no justification for doing such irreparable harm to civilians, and it appears to violate international human rights and humanitarian law,” Bennett wrote in a post on X.
Bennett’s post referred to an update by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which confirmed that at least 10 civilians, most of them children, were killed and nine others injured in airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Helmand provinces on Thursday.
Former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad also condemned Pakistan’s latest attacks and called on Islamabad to stop the killing of Afghan civilians.
“Terrible news from #Afghanistan. Pakistani air strikes have once again killed civilians, including several children. As in the past, I strongly condemn these attacks. The killing of innocent Afghans must stop,” Khalilzad wrote on X on the day of the bombing.
Several governments, international organisations and human rights groups have also criticised or condemned the airstrikes, particularly following reports of civilian casualties.
According to reports, Pakistani military aircraft carried out strikes on civilian homes in Kunar and Helmand provinces early Thursday. Taliban administration spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the attacks killed nine people, including women and children, injured 11 others and destroyed three houses. The casualty figures provided by Mujahid differed from those subsequently confirmed by UNAMA.
The latest airstrikes have further heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, whose relationship has long been affected by disputes over the Durand Line, established during British rule to define the border between British India and Afghanistan.
Relations have deteriorated since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban administration of allowing militant groups, particularly Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and ISIS-K, to operate from Afghan territory and carry out attacks across the border.
The Taliban administration has denied sheltering such groups and has accused Pakistan of holding Afghanistan responsible for its internal security challenges.
The border between the two countries has remained closed since October 2025 following cross-border violence, resulting in significant economic disruption. The closure has contributed to rising prices of goods, restricted medical travel and affected livelihoods on both sides.
The prolonged border closure has also strained diplomatic ties and prompted businesses to explore alternative regional trade routes.
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