At least 28 Afghan civilians, including women and children, have been killed in a series of Pakistani airstrikes across the border, drawing international condemnation and prompting the United Kingdom to call for sanctions against Islamabad. The strikes, which occurred in the provinces of Khost and Paktika late Tuesday, targeted what Pakistan described as “terrorist hideouts,” but witnesses and local officials insist the dead were mostly families gathered for a wedding celebration.
“Bodies were torn apart. We pulled children from the rubble,” said Mohammad Gul, a 45-year-old farmer who lost six relatives in the attack. “There were no militants. These were our neighbours, our friends.”
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence swiftly labelled the assault a “blatant violation of sovereignty” and a war crime. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed the death toll, with a spokesperson stating: “We are horrified by the scale of civilian casualties. Arbitrary attacks targeting civilian areas are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law.”
The UK Foreign Office issued a statement expressing “grave concern” and announced plans to table a resolution at the United Nations Security Council calling for targeted sanctions against Pakistani military officials believed to have authorised the strikes. “We cannot stand by while innocent people pay the price for political violence,” a Foreign Office source said.
This is not the first such incident. In April, Pakistani shelling killed 10 civilians in the same border region. Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have long been strained, with each side accusing the other of harbouring insurgents. Pakistan claims militant groups operate from Afghan soil to launch attacks on its security forces. However, the frequency of cross-border fire and airstrikes has increased since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, with Pakistan’s military adopting a more aggressive posture.
Human rights groups have urged the international community to act. “The UK must move beyond rhetoric,” said a spokesperson for Amnesty International UK. “Imposing targeted sanctions on those responsible would signal that the killing of civilians carries consequences.”
In rural Afghanistan, where healthcare is scarce and livelihoods depend on subsistence farming, the aftermath is devastating. “We have no clinic. We bury our dead in the field and weep,” said a local elder. “The world talks of sanctions, but for us, it is the silence that kills.”
The UN Security Council is expected to convene an emergency session later this week. Meanwhile, Pakistan has denied targeting civilians and accused Afghan-based militants of using human shields. The cycle of violence continues, with ordinary families caught in the crossfire.
For the 28 families mourning in Khost and Paktika, no resolution will bring back what they have lost.
