At least two people were killed and eight others injured after the Pakistani military fired 85 artillery shells into Afghanistan's Kunar province, an Afghan official said on Wednesday.
Zia-ur-Rahman Spinghar, spokesperson for Afghanistan's Information and Culture Department, told Pajhwok Afghan News that 16 shells hit Nari district, killing one civilian and injuring six others. Pakistani forces also carried out two drone strikes and launched 47 long-range projectiles in Sarkano district, killing one person and injuring two more. Additional shelling affected Manura, Shultan, and Asadabad districts, though no casualties were reported there.
In response, Afghan forces destroyed three Pakistani posts in Sarkano district's Nawapas area along the Durand Line, killing one Pakistani soldier, according to Spinghar.
The attacks come despite a ceasefire announced on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr. On Sunday, Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat accused Pakistani forces of targeting civilians in Kunar and Paktika provinces. He said a mortar shell fired in Shanpat area of Nari district killed one person and injured a woman, while Pakistani forces also opened fire on a civilian vehicle in Paktika's Shkin district, though no one was hurt.
"Today, Sunday, the fourth day of Eid al-Fitr, at 9:30 a.m., a mortar shell was fired by the Pakistani military regime in Shanpat area of Nari district of Kunar province, resulting in the injury of a woman and the martyrdom of a civilian," Fitrat posted on X. He added that the passengers of the targeted vehicle in Shkin district escaped unharmed.
UN Calls for Investigation into Pakistan's Airstrike on Kabul Rehab Facility
Separately, UN experts have urged prompt, independent, and transparent investigations into Pakistani airstrikes on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul. On March 16, the airstrike reportedly killed and injured hundreds of civilians.
Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, emphasized the need for a permanent ceasefire, protection of civilians, and accountability.
"Our statement not only calls on Afghanistan & Pakistan to agree to a permanent ceasefire, it also calls for respect for international law, protection of civilians, and accountability, starting with prompt, independent and transparent investigations of Omid Rehab Facility in Kabul," Bennett posted on X.
UN experts highlighted that renewed fighting since late February has caused at least 289 civilian casualties, including 76 deaths and 213 injuries, and displaced over 115,000 people. Civilian infrastructure, including homes, medical facilities, schools, and markets, has been damaged, and trade along the border has been disrupted.
They condemned Pakistan's airstrikes and stressed that attacks on Afghanistan violate Article 2 of the UN Charter and customary international law. The experts noted there is no evidence that TTP attacks within Pakistan were directed or controlled by Afghan authorities.
"Pakistan has not published credible evidence that TTP attacks within its territory were directed or controlled by the de facto Afghan authorities," they stated, calling for adherence to international humanitarian and human rights law, accountability for perpetrators, and remedies for victims.
(With inputs from IANS)
