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Updated 28 April 2026 - Casualties confirmed by Taliban officials and local sources.
Strikes hit Kunar University, civilians among victims
At least seven people died and 75 others sustained injuries after Pakistani military operations targeted eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province on Tuesday, according to multiple reports received by the BBC.
Among the wounded, 30 are students from Kunar University, the Taliban administration stated. A professor at the institution described hearing explosions across the campus during the attack.
Witnesses describe bombardment
Matiullah Shahab, a journalist and human rights activist based in Asadabad, reported hearing a bombardment around 14:00 local time (09:30 GMT). He witnessed civilians fleeing the town centre and confirmed several injuries requiring hospital treatment.
Sources differ on the weapons used: Taliban officials claimed mortars and rockets were fired, while other accounts suggested jets and drones participated in the strikes.
Infrastructure damage reported
Afghanistan's higher education ministry issued a statement confirming extensive damage to Kunar University's buildings and surrounding areas. The attack occurred despite a fragile ceasefire brokered by China earlier in April.
Ceasefire silence shattered
The Taliban had refrained from publicly criticising Pakistan during recent negotiations to avoid undermining talks. However, deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat condemned Tuesday's strikes as "grave and inexcusable war crimes" and "a blatant act of brutality."
Pakistan denies targeting civilians
Pakistan's information ministry rejected allegations of attacking residential areas or the university, dismissing the reports as false. Islamabad has previously justified airstrikes in Afghanistan as operations against militant hideouts.
Relations between the two neighbours have deteriorated since Pakistan accused the Taliban of sheltering the Pakistani Taliban, which has waged an insurgency against Islamabad's forces.
Recent escalation follows deadly Kabul strike
The Kunar attacks follow a Pakistani airstrike on a Kabul drug rehabilitation centre last month, which the UN confirmed killed 269 people. Cross-border clashes have resulted in hundreds of casualties in recent months.
