UPDATE: Pakistan resumes strikes on Afghanistan, four dead in Kabul

The latest airstrikes highlight rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as both sides accuse each other of targeting civilians.

Pakistan carried out a series of airstrikes on Afghanistan during the night between Thursday, March 12, and Friday, March 13, resulting in the deaths of four people in Kabul and escalating the ongoing conflict between the two nations. According to Afghan government officials, the bombings targeted civilian areas, causing widespread fear and condemnation.

Deadly Strikes on Kabul and Kandahar

Pakistani forces targeted multiple regions in Afghanistan, including Kabul, Kandahar, and border areas like Paktia and Paktika. In Kabul, four people were killed and at least 15 others injured when bombs hit civilian houses in the city’s east. Khalid Zadran, a police spokesperson for Kabul, confirmed the attack, stressing that women and children were among the victims.

“In the Guzar area, in the 21st district of Kabul, civilian houses were targeted in a bombing by the Pakistani regime which left four dead and fifteen injured,” said Zadran, adding that the majority of the casualties were women and children.

The bombings were not confined to Kabul. In the southern city of Kandahar, which is home to the Taliban’s reclusive supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Pakistani strikes also targeted an oil depot near the Kam Air airline’s facilities, according to Afghan government sources.

Pakistan’s Justification and Denials of Civilian Targeting

A senior Pakistani security official confirmed the strikes, stating that the airstrikes were aimed at specific targets linked to the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), which Islamabad has accused Afghanistan of harboring. The TTP has been responsible for numerous deadly attacks in Pakistan in recent years.

In a statement, the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintained that their operations were focused on militant targets, ensuring no civilian casualties during the raids. “Pakistan carried out targeted operations while ensuring in principle that no civilians were injured in these operations,” said spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi during a weekly briefing on Thursday.

However, accusations from Afghan authorities and civilian casualties tell a different story. Afghan officials have been outspoken in their claims that Pakistan has been deliberately targeting civilians as part of a broader strategy against the Taliban authorities in Kabul.

Growing Border Tensions and Widespread Displacement

The conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan has sharply escalated since February 26, when Afghanistan launched a border offensive in response to Pakistani airstrikes targeting TTP fighters. Pakistan followed with a series of bombings in Kabul and Kandahar, including on February 27, declaring “open war” on the Taliban.

In the past few weeks, clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces have continued to intensify, particularly in the border regions. Between Tuesday and Thursday, seven people, including children, were killed in Pakistani fire, according to Afghan authorities and medical sources.

The ongoing violence has caused severe displacement within Afghanistan. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at least 115,000 people have been forced to flee their homes due to the escalating conflict, while the UN mission in Afghanistan (Unama) reported the deaths of 56 Afghan civilians, including 24 children, since February 26.

As the fighting drags on, the humanitarian toll continues to rise, and the prospects for peace between the two nations seem increasingly remote.