The United Nations has confirmed that Pakistani cross-border artillery strikes killed at least 28 Afghan civilians in the border region of Khost and Kunar provinces, marking the deadliest such incident in months. The UK Foreign Office issued a statement calling for restraint and de-escalation, warning that further violence would destabilise an already fragile region. The strikes, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, targeted villages near the Durand Line, a disputed border that has long been a flashpoint between the two nations.
Pakistani officials claim the operation was aimed at militant hideouts, but Afghan authorities and eyewitnesses report that women and children were among the dead. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) verified the casualty figures through field teams, noting that the victims included three families displaced by earlier conflict. The incident threatens to unravel recent diplomatic efforts; just last week, Pakistani and Afghan envoys met in Doha to discuss cross-border cooperation.
Now, humanitarian agencies are bracing for a new wave of displacement as families flee the violence. The UK, which maintains a significant diplomatic presence in the region, has called for an independent investigation. This is the starkest test yet for the region's fragile security architecture, where algorithms and old rivalries collide with devastating human cost.
