Clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces continued along multiple points of their 2,600-kilometre border on Tuesday, as the United Nations reported that at least 42 Afghan civilians have been killed during six days of escalating violence.
According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), 42 civilians were killed and 104 injured in cross-border shelling and indirect fire between 26 February and 2 March.
The figures are described as preliminary. Pakistani authorities, however, disputed the casualty count, arguing that militants often operate in civilian clothing and that the UN relies on Taliban sources for information.
The latest tensions follow a series of Pakistani air strikes launched last week on targets inside Afghanistan, including sites allegedly linked to militant groups accused of carrying out attacks in Pakistan.
Islamabad claims it targeted Taliban military installations and weapons depots, including strikes near Bagram air base and facilities in Jalalabad and Nangarhar province.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that air operations were conducted based on intelligence suggesting the presence of ammunition and equipment used by militants and Afghan Taliban forces along the border.
A senior Pakistani security official said the strikes would persist unless Kabul takes concrete action against groups operating from its territory.
The Taliban administration has denied harbouring militants.
Afghanistan’s defence ministry said Taliban fighters captured a Pakistani military post in the Kandahar region, while Pakistan reported exchanges of fire at more than two dozen locations along the frontier. Both sides claimed to have inflicted heavy losses, though independent verification remains unavailable.
UNAMA urged an immediate halt to hostilities, warning that continued violence has displaced around 16,400 households and disrupted humanitarian assistance. Aid operations have been hampered by movement restrictions in border areas, compounding hardships in a country already reeling from recent deadly earthquakes.
