KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan officials are blaming Pakistan for deadly cross-border strikes that reportedly claimed three civilian lives and injured 14 others on Monday, highlighting ongoing tensions between the neighboring countries despite recent diplomatic efforts.
According to Afghan deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat, who posted on X, the strikes also leveled two educational facilities, two places of worship, and a medical clinic in Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan.
Pakistani Information Ministry officials quickly disputed these claims in their own social media response, pointing to previous cross-border gunfire originating from Afghan soil that targeted Pakistan. These earlier incidents in March and April resulted in nine civilian deaths, including women and children, in Bajaur district within Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The Pakistani ministry characterized the Bajaur incidents as evidence of the “Afghan regime’s reckless and shameful actions.” Officials also questioned the authenticity of damage photos accompanying Afghanistan’s latest accusations, noting that undamaged rooftops and limited destruction patterns were “inconsistent with artillery impact” and suggested possible fabrication.
The two nations have been locked in deadly border conflicts for months, resulting in hundreds of casualties since late February when Afghanistan initiated cross-border operations in response to Pakistani aerial bombardments on Afghan soil.
Pakistan maintains that Afghanistan provides safe haven for militant groups responsible for terrorist activities within Pakistani borders, particularly the Pakistani Taliban organization known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. This group operates independently from but maintains ties with Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, which assumed control of the country in 2021 following the withdrawal of American-led forces. Afghan authorities reject these accusations.
Chinese mediators facilitated discussions between Afghan and Pakistani representatives in western China during early April. Both nations committed to avoiding further escalation and working toward a “comprehensive solution,” according to Beijing’s statements. However, border skirmishes have persisted, though with reduced severity compared to pre-negotiation levels.
