Pakistani airstrikes struck key Afghan cities early Friday, killing civilians in the capital and hitting infrastructure in southern Afghanistan, officials and the United Nations said.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it documented at least four civilian deaths and 14 injuries following airstrikes in the Pul-e-Charkhi area of Kabul late Thursday night.
According to the UN mission, those affected included women and children.
“UNAMA documented at least four civilian deaths and 14 injured, including women and children, as a result of airstrikes in Pul-e-Charkhi area in Kabul last night,” the mission said, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities to prevent further civilian casualties.
Kabul police also confirmed the attack. City police spokesperson Khalid Zadran said Pakistani bombardment struck residential homes in the eastern part of the capital.
Writing on X, Zadran said the strikes left “four people dead and 15 others injured.”
Officials from the Taliban administration also said women and children were among those killed in the attacks.
The airstrikes were not limited to the capital. According to a Taliban spokesperson, Pakistani strikes also targeted Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second-largest city.
The spokesperson said bombs hit areas around Kandahar International Airport, including a fuel depot belonging to the Afghan private airline Kam Air.
The incident comes as tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan escalate into what officials describe as the most serious cross-border confrontation between the neighboring countries in years.
UNAMA warned that civilians continue to bear the brunt of the violence.
“Civilians, mostly women and children, continue to pay the price for the latest escalation in cross-border violence,” the mission said.
Since 26 February, UNAMA says it has recorded at least 75 civilians killed and 193 injured across Afghanistan as a result of ongoing armed clashes.
Pakistan’s military had not immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the reported strikes.
