Pakistan airstrikes on Afghanistan kill women and children, Taliban say, as Islamabad insists only terrorists were hit

From the Newshound archive · first published 1 October 2026.

Pakistani airstrikes hit three houses in Afghanistan's Kunar and Helmand provinces on Thursday, leaving nine people dead, among them women and children, according to the Afghan Taliban government. Pakistan's information ministry maintains the strikes were grounded in "credible intelligence" and killed 22 terrorists, adding that large quantities of weapons were destroyed. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denounced the strikes as "an aggression and crime in violation of all accepted principles," and a further 11 people were reported wounded.

Afghanistan has been struck by Pakistani airstrikes repeatedly over the past two weeks, with Islamabad saying it is targeting terror camps and militant hideouts.