Pakistani airstrikes on 29 June 2026 killed at least 36 Afghan civilians and injured 163, according to Kabul, with Islamabad insisting the operation eliminated 29 militants. The strikes, carried out in Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar provinces, have reignited tensions and shattered recent peace efforts.

The Taliban-led Afghan government reported that Pakistani fighter jets bombed Mandokhail Village in Chamkani District, Paktia Province. An elderly man and a child were killed, while other family members were injured. When villagers gathered to rescue survivors, a second strike hit the same area, killing 28 people and injuring 158. This double strike was described as a deliberate targeting of civilians engaged in rescue operations.

In Walust Village, Giyan District of Paktika Province, six people, mostly women and children, were killed when a civilian residence was struck. In Barolo Village, Manogai District of Kunar Province, another home was destroyed, though no casualties were reported. Afghan officials noted that livestock and property were lost, adding to the devastation.

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar defended the operation, describing it as a “well-planned intelligence-based ground operation” followed by aerial strikes. He claimed the campaign was retaliation for recent militant attacks, including assaults on camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Karachi.

Islamabad said the strikes were part of “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,” targeting Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Fitna al-Khwarij factions of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistani officials reported that 29 militants were killed and militant infrastructure destroyed.

The escalation followed the 27 June attack on the Sindh Rangers’ headquarters in Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar locality. Militants rammed a vehicle into the compound gate, triggering gunfire and explosions. 

Three paramilitary personnel and three attackers were killed. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility, and one captured assailant was identified as an Afghan national. Islamabad argued that the cross-border strikes were necessary to neutralise militant safe havens.

Afghan officials, however, condemned the strikes as “cowardly acts of aggression” and “acts of brutality.” Deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat emphasised the civilian toll, while Hayatullah Mohajer Farahi of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture warned that Kabul would retaliate “in due time.” Both countries summoned each other’s envoys to protest the attacks, deepening the diplomatic rift.

The strikes shattered a fragile period of relative calm that had lasted less than a month. Earlier in April, China had hosted talks between Islamabad and Kabul, where both sides pledged to reduce hostilities. Those commitments have now collapsed. Since February, repeated border clashes have killed hundreds, with Afghanistan forced to retaliate against Pakistan’s incursions. International mediation by China, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE has failed to secure a lasting ceasefire.

The latest bombardment underscores the cycle of violence that has plagued the region. Pakistan insists it is responding to terrorism, while Afghanistan accuses Islamabad of deliberately targeting civilians. The attacks risk further destabilising South Asia, undermining regional security, and complicating global peace efforts.

ANI