At least three killed in Pakistani airstrikes on northeastern Afghanistan

At least three people were killed and four wounded after Pakistani airstrikes struck northeastern Afghanistan, Afghan officials said on Monday.

The strikes hit a house in Kunar province, where three members of the same family died and four other family members were injured, according to Afghan authorities. The deputy Taliban spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, said the casualties include two children and two women.

Fitrat published a statement on X describing the damage and giving an account of the events. He wrote:

"Unfortunately, once again today, at around 3:00 a.m., the Pakistani occupying military regime bombarded civilian homes and public property in Nurgal District of Kunar Province and Barmal District of Paktika Province, according to preliminary information, a civilian home belonging to a villager named Noor Ahmad in Pathan Village of Nurgal District was completely destroyed in the bombing, resulting in the martyrdom of three members of the family, including Noor Ahmad, and injuries to four other family members. Among the martyrs and injured are two children and two women. In Barmal District of Paktika, two locations in the Rakhah and Tor Kundi areas were bombarded, destroying one shop and one unoccupied house, with no casualties reported. — Hamdullah Fitratحمدالله فطرت (@FitratHamd) September 21, 2026"

Regional context

The strikes come days after a deadly assault on a police facility in northwest Pakistan that left at least 16 people dead. The incident risks reigniting tensions between the neighbouring countries after a period of relative calm of nearly three months.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of sheltering militants who then carry out cross-border attacks; the Afghan Taliban government rejects those claims and says the militant activity is an internal Pakistani problem.

Photo: press material from the event