Pakistani airstrikes on 1 October 2026 killed at least 10 civilians — most of them children — and injured 9 others across Afghanistan's Kunar and Helmand provinces, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The strikes have sharply escalated tensions along the Durand Line, with Kabul and Islamabad trading accusations while ordinary Afghans bear the consequences.

What Happened on 1 October

Pakistan said its airstrikes targeted militant hideouts used by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), claiming 22 militants were killed and weapons caches destroyed. The Taliban administration in Kabul, however, said nine people — including women and children — were killed and 11 others injured, with three homes destroyed in the strikes.

UNAMA's independent count placed the civilian death toll at a minimum of 10, with most victims identified as children. The mission confirmed casualties in both Kunar and Helmand provinces.

On the Ground in Kunar

Local sources in Kunar said the strike hit a civilian home in the Chaugam area of Shultan district. Local journalists reported six people, including children, killed and three others injured. Residents said livestock — goats, cows, and donkeys — were also killed in the attack, which reportedly occurred around 3 am.

Musafer Khan, a resident of Shultan district, was quoted in a report by the Afghan Diaspora Network as saying: 'I came to help after the attack, which happened around 3 am. The family was very poor. They had livestock and many of the animals were killed. I want the authorities and the international community to investigate this atrocity.'

A resident of Garmser district in Helmand also disputed Pakistan's militant-targeting claims: 'There were no terrorists here. They were all civilians. Most of them were poor people who worked as daily labourers in the market to earn a living and provide food for their children. We call on the United Nations to investigate this incident,' the Afghan Diaspora Network reported.

Diplomatic Fallout and Taliban's Response

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the strikes as 'aggression and crime in violation of all accepted principles,' according to the Afghan Diaspora Network report. Another Afghan resident, Safa Rawza, warned that Afghans would stand with the Taliban if Pakistan continued its cross-border attacks — a statement that underscores the domestic political pressure the strikes generate for Kabul.

This comes amid a broader deterioration in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, driven largely by Islamabad's longstanding accusations that the Taliban administration provides sanctuary to TTP fighters who carry out attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban has consistently denied those allegations.

UNAMA Calls for De-escalation

In a post on X, UNAMA confirmed: 'At least 10 civilians were killed, most of them children, and 9 people injured in airstrikes carried out in Afghanistan's Kunar and Helmand provinces.' The mission reiterated its call for 'de-escalation, dialogue, respect for international law and prevention of further civilian harm.'

As writer Gaheez Salarzai noted in the Afghan Diaspora Network report: 'In villages such as Shultan and Safar, families are not debating intelligence assessments or military strategy. They are burying relatives, clearing rubble and trying to rebuild lives shattered by another round of violence.' Salarzai added that 'the names of the armed groups may change, and the justifications may differ, but for many Afghans, the outcome has become tragically familiar: another airstrike, another funeral, and another community left to rebuild from the rubble.'

With UNAMA's call unanswered and both governments entrenched in their positions, the prospect of further cross-border strikes — and further civilian casualties — remains a grim reality for communities along the Durand Line.