Tensions Rise as Afghanistan Accuses Pakistan of Civilian Killings

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1213 EAT on Tuesday 5 May 2026

Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government has accused Pakistan of killing three civilians in a cross-border attack, in what Kabul described as a “war crime.”

The incident on Monday underscores the fragility of a China-brokered ceasefire agreed in April after months of fighting along the border that resulted in significant casualties.

Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, said 14 others were wounded in the attack, writing on X that Pakistani forces had deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure. He said homes, schools, a health centre and mosques were hit in Dangam district of Kunar Province along the border with Pakistan.

Pakistan rejected the आरोपations. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (Pakistan) said images shared by Afghanistan showed damage inconsistent with artillery fire, suggesting the incident may have been staged as part of a “propaganda effort” following cross-border violence in March and April that killed nine people.

Rising tensions come as one person was killed late on Monday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the border with Afghanistan, when security forces foiled a suicide attack at a checkpoint.

Several others were injured after security personnel opened fire on the attacker’s explosives-laden vehicle as it approached a military post. The car detonated shortly afterwards, causing casualties and damage in the surrounding area.

Muhammad Amir Rana, director of the Pak Institute for Peace Studies, told Al Jazeera that Pakistan faces multiple constraints in carrying out cross-border strikes.

“Precision is a real problem for Pakistan when it comes to its cross-border operations. Effective and reliable intelligence is the critical missing link — without it, limiting collateral damage becomes the central challenge. What we are also seeing is that Pakistan’s security situation has worsened considerably since the war on Iran began on February 28,” he said.

Rana added that he was not optimistic about a diplomatic breakthrough in the near term.

“Pakistan’s diplomatic capital is growing, and it is not willing to offer concessions to Kabul, while the Afghan side is questioning why it should concede anything,” he said.

Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of harbouring the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a Pakistani offshoot of the Afghan Taliban that is waging an armed insurgency against the state. Kabul has repeatedly denied the allegation.

-Aljazeera

Invest or Donate towards HICGI New Agency Global Media Establishment – Watch video here