Kabul, March 3 (NationPress) The United Nations (UN) has reported that a minimum of 34 individuals lost their lives and 89 more sustained injuries due to military actions by Pakistan in Afghanistan between February 26 and March 1, according to local media sources on Tuesday.

During a press briefing, UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric indicated that the casualties include vulnerable groups such as children and women, and noted that these numbers are still preliminary. He emphasized that the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is actively documenting civilian casualties in the region, as reported by Pajhwok Afghan News.

Dujarric mentioned that the ongoing conflict has imposed limitations on movement in border regions, hampering the efforts of humanitarian organizations and their partners to deliver critical assistance to the most affected areas, thus leaving Afghan refugees from Pakistan at greater risk. He cautioned about a potential rise in the influx of Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan.

As the conflict along the Durand Line escalates, Afghan forces have executed retaliatory strikes against Pakistani military installations following recent air assaults conducted by the Pakistan Air Force inside Afghanistan.

The Afghan defense ministry stated that their forces targeted several strategic military sites along the 2,600-km border with Pakistan, including crucial areas associated with Kabul, the Ali-Sher district in Khost, Jalalabad, and Kandahar.

This escalation signifies the latest intensification of tensions along the Durand Line, which has seen increased hostilities following Pakistan's airstrikes on what it termed terror camps on February 21-22.

Afghan officials have reported that their forces have successfully captured multiple Pakistani military outposts in Kandahar province, particularly in the Spin Boldak and Shorabak districts.

In Spin Boldak, three posts were reportedly seized, leading to the death of three Pakistani soldiers and the capture of one military member. Additionally, two Pakistani outposts were taken in the Ali-Sher district, as noted by Afghanistan-based TOLO News.

Over the last four days, both the Pakistani and Afghan military forces have engaged in cross-border attacks targeting each other's positions.

On February 27, Afghanistan initiated strikes against Pakistani Army posts and military facilities along the Durand Line in retaliation for airstrikes carried out by Islamabad in Nangarhar and Paktika on February 21.

Following Afghanistan's actions, Pakistan launched 'Operation Ghazab lil-Haq' (Righteous Fury) in response to what it characterized as "unprovoked firing" by Afghan forces across various border sectors, as reported by Pakistan's leading daily, Dawn. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) executed airstrikes targeting military facilities in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia.

In recent months, the tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have escalated, with both nations accusing each other of conducting cross-border attacks and providing sanctuary to militant groups.