Kabul [Afghanistan], February 24 (ANI): The United Nations Help Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has raised critical issues over studies of civilian casualties ensuing from in a single day airstrikes performed by Pakistani navy forces inside Afghan territory.
In a press assertion issued on Monday, the mission confirmed it has obtained ‘credible studies of civilian casualties because of in a single day airstrikes carried out by Pakistan inside Afghanistan late on 21 February and into the early hours of twenty-two February.’ In response to the mission, the strikes focused a number of places throughout the Nangarhar and Paktika provinces.
Offering particular particulars on the Nangarhar incident, UNAMA said, ‘On 21 February, at roughly 23:45 to 00:15 on 22 February, Pakistani navy forces performed airstrikes in Behsud and Khogyani districts in Nangarhar province.’
The assertion additional famous that ‘preliminary civilian casualty figures point out a minimum of 13 civilians had been killed and 7 others injured, together with girls and kids.’
The navy motion additionally prolonged to Paktika province, the place academic and non secular buildings had been reportedly affected.
‘Pakistani navy forces additionally performed airstrikes in Barmal and Urgun districts in Paktika province. Within the first reported incident, on 21 February, at roughly 23:15, in Barmal district, Marghai space, an airstrike impacted a madrassa, and partially broken a close-by mosque,’ the assertion learn.
Within the second reported incident, ‘at roughly 23:30 in Urgun district, Dahna space, an airstrike impacted and partially destroyed a vacant personal residential home. No civilian casualties have been reported thus far.’
Reacting to those developments, Amnesty Worldwide South Asia expressed deep concern, calling for a ‘thorough, unbiased, and neutral investigation’ into the alleged hurt.
In a publish on X, the organisation famous that ‘this isn’t the primary time civilians have borne the brunt of the usage of pressure,’ citing earlier UNAMA information which attributed 70 civilian deaths to Pakistani forces between October and December 2025 throughout intensified border clashes.
However, studies from Geo Information, citing Islamabad’s safety sources, indicated that greater than 80 individuals had been killed throughout seven places in Nangarhar, Paktika, and Khost provinces.
These sources recognized targets together with ‘New Centre No. 1 and New Centre No. 2 in Nangarhar, Khwariji Maulvi Abbas Centre in Khost, Khwariji Islam Centre and Khwariji Ibrahim Centre in Nangarhar, and Khwariji Mullah Rahbar and Khwariji Mukhlis Yar in Paktika.’
Pakistan’s State Minister for Inside, Talal Chaudhry, said that just about 70 militants had been ‘neutralised’ in what the federal government described as ‘exact and correct’ retaliatory strikes in opposition to camps belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij, a time period used for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Daesh-Khorasan.
Islamabad maintained the operation was a response to latest suicide bombings in Islamabad, Bajaur, and Bannu orchestrated by handlers based mostly in Afghanistan.
Chaudhry alleged that Afghanistan has grow to be a supply of cross-border militancy and claimed the Afghan Taliban had did not honour the 2020 Doha Settlement pledge to stop Afghan soil from getting used for terrorism.
He highlighted that Pakistan is taking vital measures to safeguard its residents, together with hundreds of home intelligence-based operations.
Amidst this escalation, the UN mission urged a direct finish to hostilities to guard civilians.
‘UNAMA calls on all events to deliver a long-lasting finish to hostilities to guard civilians and stop additional lack of life and damage,’ the mission said.
The mission reminded all events of their obligations below worldwide legislation to adjust to the rules of ‘distinction, proportionality and precaution to stop civilian casualties.’ (ANI)
