The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has confirmed that Pakistani airstrikes carried out inside Afghanistan during the night of 21–22 February resulted in civilian casualties.
According to UNAMA, Pakistani forces conducted aerial strikes in the districts of Behsud and Khogyani in Nangarhar Province. Preliminary reports indicate that at least 13 civilians were killed and seven others injured. The mission said that women and children were among those killed.
The UN mission also reported additional airstrikes in the districts of Barmal and Urgun in Paktika Province. The first strike took place at approximately 11:15 pm on 21 February in the Murghai area of Barmal district, where a madrassa building and a nearby mosque were damaged. A second strike occurred about 15 minutes later in the Dhana area of Urgun district, targeting an unoccupied private house which was partially destroyed. No casualties were reported in those two incidents.
UNAMA said it remains concerned about the civilian impact of the strikes and warned that the number of casualties could increase as further information emerges.
Officials from the administration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan claimed that an airstrike in the Gardi Kach area of Behsud district targeted the house of a man identified as Shahabuddin, killing between 20 and 23 members of a single family, including 11 children as well as several women and men. The reported casualty figures have not been independently verified.
According to Afghan authorities, five injured individuals from the attacks were taken to a local hospital in Nangarhar, where they are receiving medical treatment.
Meanwhile, the Baloch National Movement (BNM) issued a statement condemning the strikes, stating that Pakistan targeted populated areas in Afghanistan during the night of 21–22 February, resulting in the deaths of civilians including children. The party expressed sympathy with the affected families and said it supports Afghanistan’s sovereignty and its right to self-defence.
In its statement, the BNM described the airstrikes as a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. The group also alleged that civilians had been deliberately targeted and said the events contradicted Pakistan’s official claims regarding the nature of the strikes.
The BNM further argued that instability in the region stems from what it described as Pakistan’s long-standing policies and actions in neighbouring regions. The organisation also called for greater unity among nations in the region in response to what it characterised as growing tensions.