• Pakistan's airstrikes have reportedly killed at least 13 civilians, mostly children.
• The strikes targeted provinces Kunar, Khost, and Paktika, leaving 14 others injured.
• The humanitarian situation has worsened amid ongoing tensions and accusations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Afghanistan has condemned Pakistan for carrying out airstrikes that reportedly killed at least 13 people, including 11 children, during attacks on the provinces of Kunar, Khost, and Paktika. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid denounced the attacks as a "humanitarian crime and act of aggression," highlighting the loss of civilian lives, which also included a woman and an elderly man. Additionally, 14 other civilians sustained injuries in these strikes, which have raised significant international concern regarding the escalating violence between the two nations, according to India Times, Channel News Asia, and Al Jazeera.

The Pakistani military claimed that their strikes were aimed at militant hideouts and infrastructure associated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), asserting that the operations resulted in the deaths of "26 militants" instead of civilians. Islamabad emphasized that these strikes were "calibrated" and necessary for national security in response to threats originating from Afghanistan. However, Afghan officials counter that the airstrikes deliberately targeted civilian areas, echoing widespread condemnation of Pakistan's military actions, according to BBC and CBS News.

Reports of civilian casualties followed a period of relative calm at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, which had endured heightened clashes since late February. Following retaliatory attacks by Afghanistan, ongoing tension between the two countries has raised alarm among international observers, emphasizing the need for diplomatic interventions. The UN reported alarming numbers in this ongoing conflict, with over 372 Afghan civilians killed and hundreds more injured in the first quarter of 2026, making the humanitarian situation critical, as confirmed by Channel News Asia, Al Jazeera, and CBS News.

Pakistan maintains that its actions are justified in the context of ongoing militancy it attributes to groups based in Afghanistan, particularly the TTP. Conversely, Afghanistan's Taliban government denies these accusations, arguing that the country does not harbor militants targeting Pakistan. The situation continues to evolve amidst calls for peace and restraint from international leaders, as both sides grapple with accusations of violating sovereignty and failing to protect civilians, according to India Times, BBC, and CBS News.