Cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan has resulted in the deaths of nearly 500 civilians in Afghanistan and injuries to over 1,000 others between October and the end of June, according to the United Nations on Tuesday.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported in a human rights situation report that it documented 499 civilian fatalities and 1,216 wounded due to the conflict between the neighboring countries, which has disregarded international peace efforts.
One incident detailed in the report involved civilians who were struck by a second airstrike while attempting to rescue others from the rubble of an initial one.
The report also examined other human rights concerns, including a severe crackdown on protests in western Afghanistan related to restrictions on women's clothing, and decrees that effectively legalize child marriage.
Pakistan Accuses Afghanistan of Harboring Militants
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been intermittent for several months. The situation intensified significantly in February when Afghan forces conducted a raid into Pakistan as retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan, prompting Islamabad to declare it an "open war."
Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of sheltering militants who have been responsible for deadly attacks killing thousands over the years in Pakistan, particularly the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan). This group is reportedly allied with the Afghan Taliban, which has governed Afghanistan since seizing power in 2021 following the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Kabul denies these allegations.
In a major attack during the fighting, a Pakistani airstrike struck a drug treatment center in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in March, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths. Amnesty International stated last week that this bombing warrants investigation as a potential war crime.
Pakistan has not provided an overall figure for civilian casualties stemming from cross-border fighting within its territory. UNAMA noted that its mandate is limited to monitoring incidents inside Afghanistan.
Pakistan Denies Targeting Civilians
In a written reply to UNAMA’s report, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry stated that the Afghan Taliban government "continues to maintain a permissive environment for a range of (militant) organizations."
The response did not address Afghan civilian casualties but asserted that Pakistan's military strikes "were directed exclusively at identified terrorist hideouts, sanctuaries, and support infrastructure linked to groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan."
Among the hundreds of civilian casualties listed by UNAMA are 22 individuals—five of whom were children—killed in two consecutive airstrikes on a residential building in Paktia province on June 28. At least 185 others sustained injuries.
Most fatalities and injuries occurred during the second strike, which took place while locals were attempting to rescue victims from the first strike.
Fiona Frazer, director of human rights at UNAMA, stated, "International humanitarian law provides special protections for medical personnel and humanitarian workers, including first responders. Attacks against them while performing their duties are strictly prohibited."
Afghan Women Still Face Harsh Restrictions
UNAMA’s report also highlighted severe issues faced by women under the draconian restrictions imposed by Afghanistan’s Taliban government. These restrictions include a ban on education beyond primary school, strict dress codes, prohibitions on working in nearly all professions, and the requirement for female accompaniment by a male relative when outside the home.
The report detailed a crackdown in Herat city in June, where at least 30 women were arrested on charges of violating the dress code. At least one person was killed and several others injured when authorities fired upon a rare protest against the detentions.
Rules governing female attire mandate that women only appear in public wearing a full hijab—which encompasses a headscarf and robe covering the entire body—along with a face covering that leaves only the eyes visible. The Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice enforces these regulations.
However, interpretations of these rules and what constitutes correct hijab wear vary and can be enforced arbitrarily.
The UNAMA report indicated that officials from the Vice and Virtue ministry visited health clinics and shops across the country to advise them to deny entry to women who were not accompanied by a male relative.
Furthermore, the report noted that new regulations concerning marital separation "implicitly sanction child marriage" by permitting marriage contracts to be arranged for minors.