Pakistani military airstrikes on Wednesday night, 1 October 2025, killed at least nine civilians — including women and children — and injured 11 others after hitting residential areas in Afghanistan's Kunar and Helmand provinces, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed on Thursday. Three homes were destroyed in the attacks, which struck the Chugam area of Shultan district in Kunar and the Safar area of Garmser district in Helmand.

What Happened on the Ground

Mujahid, posting on X, described the strikes as a deliberate targeting of civilian homes by Pakistani aircraft. 'Last night, Pakistani aircraft bombed civilian homes in Chugam, Shultan District of Kunar, and Safar, Garmser District of Helmand. Nine Afghan civilians, including women and children, were killed, 11 were injured, and three homes were destroyed,' he wrote. The Taliban administration formally condemned the strikes as 'an act of aggression and crime in violation of all accepted principles.'

A Pattern of Escalating Strikes

This is not an isolated incident. The latest attack is part of a sharply escalating pattern of Pakistani airstrikes across multiple Afghan provinces in recent weeks. On 24 September, Pakistani strikes in Kandahar, Paktia, and Khost killed four civilians. Three days before that, strikes in Kunar and Paktika left three people dead. The cumulative civilian death toll from this wave of strikes has now climbed significantly, drawing repeated condemnation from Kabul.

Taliban's Allegations Against Islamabad

Speaking at a religious seminary in Kandahar, Mujahid alleged that Pakistan was using military strikes on Afghan territory to deflect attention from mounting domestic pressures — including internal protests and deepening political and economic instability. He further alleged that Islamabad was attempting to sidestep obligations under the Mecca Pact, a trilateral defence agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey on 7 August, under which an armed attack on any signatory is treated as an attack on all three. 'Pakistan's recent attacks on Afghanistan were carried out with the aim of escaping the Mecca agreement with Saudi Arabia, while portraying the situation as though Pakistan is engaged in a war in Afghanistan,' Mujahid said, according to Afghan media outlet Ariana News.

Warning of Retaliation

Mujahid warned that Afghanistan would deliver an 'appropriate response' to what he characterised as the Pakistani military regime's 'bullying'. He also accused Pakistan of 'violating the territory of its neighbouring Islamic country' to distract from its domestic failures. The warning signals a potential further deterioration in Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, which have been strained for years over cross-border militant activity and disputed territorial claims.

Regional and Diplomatic Context

The strikes complicate an already fraught geopolitical situation in South Asia. The Mecca Pact — designed to project collective deterrence — now sits awkwardly at the centre of Taliban accusations against one of its own signatories. Notably, the Taliban administration, which is not internationally recognised, has nonetheless asserted sovereignty claims with increasing assertiveness. How Saudi Arabia and Turkey respond to Kabul's invocation of the pact's language — even informally — will be closely watched. The latest strikes are likely to intensify international scrutiny of Pakistan's military operations along the Afghan border.