At least 42 civilians have been killed and 104 injured in Afghanistan amid ongoing clashes with Pakistan, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported on Tuesday. The fighting, which began on February 26, has now entered its sixth day.
UNAMA described the casualties as preliminary, noting that they include deaths caused by indirect fire during cross-border exchanges and airstrikes. The escalating conflict is the most severe between Afghanistan and Pakistan in years, and has displaced an estimated 16,400 households, complicating delivery of vital humanitarian aid.
An Afghan man walks past a damaged wall following airstrikes, amid the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan, in Kandahar, Afghanistan, February 28, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers claimed last week that their retaliatory strikes on Pakistani installations were in response to Pakistan targeting militants within Afghanistan. Islamabad denies targeting civilians, though it has carried out air-to-ground strikes on Taliban military sites in Nangarhar province and reportedly struck Taliban government positions for the first time, alleging the group harbors militants attacking Pakistan from Afghan soil.
Military tensions remain high. Afghan forces reported capturing another Pakistani post in the Kandahar region, while Pakistan said it destroyed a Taliban military base in Nangarhar during a successful air operation. Both sides claim to have inflicted heavy damage and casualties on the other, though Reuters has not independently verified these figures.
An Afghan man stands next to a damaged car following airstrikes, amid the conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan, in Kandahar, Afghanistan, February 28, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari addressed the nation on Monday, emphasizing that Pakistan would not allow its territory to be used to destabilize its security. “The soil of Pakistan is sacred. We will not allow any entity—domestic or foreign—to use neighbouring territory to destabilize our peace,” he said.
UNAMA urged both countries to halt the fighting immediately, warning that the violence is exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation. Many Afghans are still recovering from successive earthquakes last August and September that killed over 1,400 people. Movement restrictions along the border are hindering humanitarian agencies from reaching those most in need, raising fears of worsening hunger and deprivation.
