Pakistan Accused of Airstrikes in Afghanistan Killing 13, Including 11 Children
Pakistan launched overnight airstrikes on the Afghan provinces of Khost, Kunar, and Paktika on June 10, 2026, killing at least 13 people — including 11 children — according to Afghanistan's Taliban government and subsequently confirmed by the UN mission in Afghanistan. Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the strikes as 'precise and calibrated' operations targeting TTP militant hideouts, claiming 26 militants were killed, while making no comment on civilian casualties. The strikes mark the third armed confrontation between the two countries since October 2025 and shattered more than a month of relative calm following internationally mediated peace efforts led by China.
Pakistani military aircraft struck residential areas in the eastern Afghan provinces of Khost, Kunar, and Paktika late Tuesday night, with AFP journalists on the ground documenting completely destroyed homes and residents digging graves for the dead. Afghanistan's Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said 11 children, one woman, and one elderly man were killed, with 14 women and children wounded; the UN mission UNAMA independently documented 13 civilian deaths and 10 injuries, mainly children and women, corroborating the Afghan account. Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed the strikes, saying they targeted training camps, ammunition caches, and hideouts linked to TTP commanders Aleem Khan Khushali and Akhtar Muhammad Jani Khel, citing a series of recent militant attacks inside Pakistan including a Federal Constabulary post assault on June 9 that killed six officers. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry questioned UNAMA's methodology and dismissed Afghan casualty claims as 'propaganda,' while residents and a Red Crescent worker in Khost told CBS News that the strike hit a family home with no known militant connections. The strikes come amid Chinese-mediated peace talks following a major escalation in late February 2026, when Pakistan declared 'open war' and carried out unprecedented strikes on Afghan cities including Kabul and Kandahar; a UN report estimated at least 372 Afghan civilians were killed and 397 wounded in the first three months of 2026 alone. The Pakistan-Afghanistan border has remained largely closed since October 2025, freezing bilateral trade and stranding thousands of people, with multiple rounds of internationally mediated talks failing to produce a lasting ceasefire.
What's missing
No source provides independent verification of Pakistan's claim that 26 militants were killed, nor details on what battle-damage assessment methodology was used. The legal and diplomatic implications of repeated airspace violations under international law are not addressed by any outlet.
How coverage differed
Dawn, Pakistan's leading English-language newspaper, framed the strikes primarily through Pakistan's security justification, notably including the phrase 'India-sponsored khawarij' from the minister's statement — a characterization absent from all other outlets — and emphasized Pakistan's counter-terrorism rationale without foregrounding civilian casualty claims. Al Jazeera and NDTV gave comparatively greater prominence to the human toll and Afghan civilian accounts, with NDTV highlighting that victims were killed in their sleep, while most Western outlets balanced both governments' claims more evenly.
What different sources said
- NDTVCenter
11 Children Killed In Sleep In Pak Strikes On Afghanistan, Claim Taliban
- Al JazeeraLeft
Afghanistan says Pakistan air raids killed 13 people, including children
- The Jerusalem PostRight
Pakistani airstrikes kill at least 13 in Afghanistan, including 11 children, Taliban says
- AP NewsCenter
Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan kill at least 13 people, Taliban official says
- NYT WorldLeft
13 Afghan Civilians Killed in Airstrikes on Pakistan Border, U.N. Says
- Times of IndiaCenter
Pakistan bombs Afghanistan again: Taliban claims 11 children among 13 killed
- ReutersCenter
Pakistani air strikes kill at least 13 in Afghanistan, Taliban says
- ABC News InternationalCenter
UN mission in Afghanistan confirms death toll of 13 civilians in Pakistani airstrikes
- Deutsche WelleCenter
Pakistan conducts new deadly strikes on Afghanistan, says Taliban
- DawnCenter
Pakistan strikes terrorist hideouts along Afghan border, kills 26 militants: minister
- France 24Center
Pakistan renews air strikes on Afghanistan, killing several
- BBC WorldCenter
Pakistan launches deadly air strikes in Afghanistan, reigniting tensions
- The HinduCenter
Pakistan carries out new deadly strikes on Afghanistan: government officials
- Channel NewsAsiaCenter
Pakistan carries out new deadly strikes on Afghanistan: Officials
- CBS NewsCenter
Taliban says Pakistani airstrikes killed at least 13 in Afghanistan
- Washington TimesRight
U.N. mission in Afghanistan confirms death toll of 13 civilians in Pakistani airstrikes
- Sky NewsCenter
Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan kill at least 13
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