Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - Afghan officials say Pakistani airstrikes and ground operations killed at least 36 civilians and wounded more than 160 others in eastern Afghanistan overnight. The attacks hit border provinces including Paktia, Paktika and Kunar, triggering fresh anger from the Taliban government.

The Taliban said the strikes struck civilian homes and communities, while Pakistan claimed it was targeting militant hideouts linked to anti-Pakistan groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. Afghan officials said women and children were among the dead and that the toll could rise as rescue teams continue to assess damage in the affected districts. The United Nations mission in Afghanistan said at least 28 civilians had been confirmed dead and 49 injured in its own early count, underscoring the scale of the destruction.

Pakistan said the operation was launched in response to militant attacks inside its territory, including assaults on paramilitary forces, and maintained that the strikes killed militants rather than civilians. But Kabul described the action as an attack on Afghan sovereignty and warned that it would respond. The latest violence deepens an already volatile border crisis that has seen repeated cross-border strikes and retaliatory fire in recent months.

With both sides accusing each other and civilian casualties mounting, the Pakistan-Afghanistan border remains on a knife-edge. The immediate risk is further escalation if diplomacy does not catch up with the pace of military action.