Pakistan rejects Taliban claims of civilian deaths in strikes

Pakistan rejected Afghan Taliban allegations that its airstrikes killed civilians in Afghanistan, saying its operations targeted militant groups and their support bases. The Foreign Office described the strikes as a last resort and said they were proportionate to threats against Pakistan. United Nations reporting, however, documented civilian casualties from Pakistani attacks in Afghanistan. The statement came after Afghan Taliban foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said in a CNN interview that more than 1,000 civilians had been killed in Pakistani attacks over the past four years. Afghan media accounts cited by Pakistan’s Foreign Office put the number of civilians killed or injured since late 2021 at 1,119. Pakistan called the allegations unsupported and said its operations were directed only at militants and logistical bases. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported at least 512 civilians killed and 1,236 wounded in cross-border incidents between October 2025 and September 2026. Its human rights report documented casualties from Pakistani attacks in Kunar, Paktika and Helmand. In Kunar, nine civilians were killed and seven wounded in...