Key facts
- Nearly 500 civilians were killed and over 1,200 wounded in Afghanistan due to Pakistan-Afghanistan cross-border fighting from October to June.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported that nearly 500 civilians were killed and over 1,200 wounded in cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan between October and the end of June. Pakistan stated its strikes targeted militant hideouts.
The ongoing conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan is causing significant civilian casualties and exacerbating the dire human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly for women.
Cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan has resulted in nearly 500 civilian deaths and over 1,200 injuries in Afghanistan between October and the end of June, according to a report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The report documented 499 civilians killed and 1,216 wounded by the conflict, detailing incidents such as a second airstrike hitting civilians attempting to rescue others from rubble after an initial strike. Fiona Frazer, director of human rights at UNAMA, emphasized that attacks against first responders are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, in response to the UNAMA report, stated that its military strikes were directed exclusively at identified terrorist hideouts and sanctuaries linked to groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan. The ministry asserted that the Afghan Taliban government maintains a permissive environment for militants. The UNAMA report also addressed other human rights concerns in Afghanistan, including severe restrictions imposed on women by the Taliban government. These restrictions encompass bans on education beyond primary school, strict dress codes, limitations on employment, and requirements for male companionship when outside the home. The report highlighted a crackdown in Herat where women were arrested for dress code violations, leading to a protest where at least one person was killed and others injured. Furthermore, the report indicated that new rules regarding marriage separation implicitly sanction child marriage by allowing marriage contracts for minors.