UN Reports Significant Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan Amid Escalation Between Pakistan and Taliban Forces
UN Reports Significant Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan Amid Escalation Between Pakistan and Taliban Forces
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The United Nations has expressed deep concern over rising civilian casualties in Afghanistan as military clashes between Pakistani forces and the Taliban‑led Afghan authorities continue to escalate.
According to reporting from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and international news agencies, at least 42 Afghan civilians have been killed and 104 wounded in recent cross‑border fighting and airstrikes attributed to Pakistani military operations in eastern Afghanistan. The clashes have struck residential areas in provinces including Paktia, Paktika, Nangarhar, Kunar and Khost, as well as airstrikes in parts of Paktika and Nangarhar.
Pakistani air operations, described by Islamabad as targeting militant hideouts, have triggered international concern over civilian impact. Afghan authorities report that at least six civilians were killed and more than a dozen injured in airstrikes on Kabul and surrounding provinces, with damage to civilian infrastructure including fuel depots. Pakistan maintains its strikes focus on militant camps and denies deliberately targeting civilians.
The United Nations and humanitarian agencies have urged an immediate halt to hostilities and called on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and protect non‑combatants. UNAMA has documented hundreds of civilian casualties since clashes intensified and warned that continued fighting is worsening the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, including displacement and restricted access for aid delivery.
