Pakistan airstrikes hit Afghanistan killing at least three

Pakistan launched airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, September 21, 2026, targeting what its security officials described as militant hideouts in a significant escalation of cross-border tensions. The strikes, which occurred in the early morning hours, hit locations in Afghanistan's Kunar and Paktika provinces. Afghan authorities reported that at least three civilians were killed and four others injured in the attacks. A home in Nurgal district of Kunar province was destroyed, killing three members of a family, while a shop and an unoccupied house were hit in Barmal district of Paktika province, according to Afghan Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat. Pakistani security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed the strikes targeted sanctuaries of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), killing 28 suspected militants. The officials stated that Pakistan Air Force jets and unmanned combat aerial vehicles were used in the operation, which took place between 4:00 and 4:45 a.m. local time. The claims from either side could not be independently verified.