Report Says 761 Civilians Killed in Pakistani Attacks on Afghanistan

According to reports on Sunday that at least 761 civilians have been killed and 626 others wounded in Pakistani attacks across Afghanistan since Feb. 22, sharply underscoring the human cost of nearly six weeks of escalating cross-border conflict. The figures were released by deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat in a post on X, but they have not been independently verified and were swiftly rejected by Pakistani media-linked official accounts.

Fitrat said Pakistani bombardment during that period hit Kabul, Kandahar, Nangarhar, Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Kunar, Nuristan and Laghman provinces, claiming the attacks caused widespread civilian casualties and destruction. He also said 27,407 people were displaced and 1,140 homes destroyed, in what would represent one of the deadliest and most damaging phases of fighting between the two sides in recent years if confirmed.

According to the figures he published, the attacks also destroyed 256 shops, 34 mosques, 13 schools, 42 vehicles, 13 religious seminaries and three clinics, while 661 livestock were killed. The scale of the claimed damage points to a broader humanitarian toll beyond battlefield losses, particularly in border communities already struggling with insecurity, displacement and weak access to basic services.

The claims come as Pakistan and Taliban representatives have been holding China-mediated talks in Urumqi aimed at reducing tensions and securing a ceasefire after weeks of fighting. Chinese officials said the consultation process was advancing, though no clear public outcome has yet emerged and violence has continued to cast doubt over the durability of any diplomatic progress.

Pakistan, however, has disputed Taliban claims of widespread civilian casualties and has instead said that nearly 800 Taliban fighters have been killed in its operations since the conflict escalated.

Pakistan has repeatedly said its military actions target militants and cross-border threats rather than civilians, while Taliban authorities accuse Islamabad of indiscriminate bombardment and violations of sovereignty. The sharply conflicting narratives have made independent verification difficult, even as the conflict has disrupted trade, movement and daily life for communities living near the border.

Fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan has intensified since late February, in what has become the most serious confrontation between the two neighbours since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The conflict has been driven by Pakistan’s accusations that militants operate from Afghanistan territory, claims Kabul denies, while repeated strikes and artillery exchanges have increasingly endangered civilians on both sides of the frontier.

The casualty figures released by Taliban officials, if independently confirmed, would add to mounting concern over the civilian impact of the conflict just as diplomatic efforts are underway. With talks in China still producing no visible breakthrough, the gap between battlefield escalation and political dialogue remains wide — and civilians continue to bear the heaviest burden.

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