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Pakistan Accused of Airstrikes on Afghan Refugees Amid Escalating Border Tensions
- •Afghan officials accuse Pakistan of new airstrikes targeting civilian areas and shelters for recently expelled Afghan refugees.
- •The allegations follow two rounds of Pakistani air operations inside Afghanistan within days, escalating tensions along the Durand Line.
- •Pakistan claimed the September 21 strikes in Kunar and Paktika provinces targeted militant hideouts, killing 28 militants.
- •Afghan authorities reported civilian casualties, and UNAMA confirmed three civilians killed and four injured in Kunar airstrikes.
Key Questions Answered
Pakistan reported that its September 21 airstrikes in Kunar and Paktika provinces killed 28 militants. However, Afghan authorities reported civilian casualties, and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed that three civilians—a man, a woman, and a girl—were killed alongside four injuries in Kunar.
During the second round of airstrikes on September 24, which Islamabad stated targeted sites used for drone attacks against Pakistan, Afghan authorities reported that the strikes hit areas in Khost, Kandahar, and Paktia.
Islamabad stated that its air operations targeted militant hideouts and facilities used to store or launch drones involved in attacks against Pakistan. Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the second operation as deliberate, precise, calibrated, and limited to military objectives.
