Islamabad, Oct 1. (dpa/GNA) – Pakistan has launched fresh airstrikes in Afghanistan, targeting alleged hideouts of Islamist militants blamed for deadly cross-border attacks, officials said on Thursday.
The UN reported at least 10 civilians killed. At least two alleged militant hideouts were targeted in the provinces of Helmand and Kunar in early morning airstrikes, Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said.
Up to 22 ormore militants were killed and their weapons and ammunition destroyed, Tarar said in a statement.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government, however, said residential homes were hit in the strikes. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, initially said nine civilians, including women and children, were killed and three homes destroyed.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) later said 10 civilians had been killed, most of them children, and nine others injured.
The UN mission independently assesses civilian casualty figures.
The strikes mark the third time Pakistan has attacked targets in Afghanistan in less than two weeks, amid a renewed escalation between the neighbouring countries.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated sharply since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, despite Islamabad having previously been accused of supporting the Islamist movement.
Pakistan accuses the Taliban authorities of harbouring militants who carry out attacks across the border, an allegation Kabul denies.
Militant violence has risen sharply in Pakistan in recent years, particularly in provinces bordering Afghanistan.
Islamabad has responded with military operations at home and, following major attacks, repeated airstrikes inside Afghanistan since October 2025.
Diplomatic efforts to defuse tensions between the two countries have meanwhile made little progress.
GNA