Pakistan Airstrikes in Afghanistan Kill 13 Civilians Including 11 Children

The Government of Pakistan launched precision airstrikes in Afghanistan's Khost, Kunar, and Paktika provinces between June 9 and June 10, 2026. Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated the operations targeted safe havens, training centers, and ammunition caches of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij, claiming 26 militants were killed.

However, the Government of Afghanistan and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that the strikes hit civilian homes and infrastructure, killing 13 civilians, including 11 children, one woman, and one elderly man. Afghan officials noted the destruction of schools, mosques, and a clinic. In response, the Afghan Foreign Ministry summoned the Pakistani chargé d'affaires in Kabul to lodge a formal protest against the violation of national sovereignty.

Pakistan justified the escalation as retaliation for a June 9 attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where TTP militants stormed a Federal Constabulary checkpoint, killing six personnel and abducting eight others. Other recent incidents cited by Islamabad include a June 2 suicide attack in North Waziristan and a May 9 attack in Bannu. Tensions have remained acute since February 2026, with the bilateral border closed since October.

Separately, Pakistani security forces clashed with Joint Awami Action Committee protesters in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, where seven civilians were killed during crackdowns in Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot. Despite recent Track 1.5 dialogues in Istanbul and prior mediation attempts by China in Urumqi, regional stability continues to deteriorate.