UN says nearly 500 Afghan civilians have been killed in Pakistan-Afghanistan fighting since October
A UN report states that nearly 500 civilians have been killed in cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan since October. The conflict involves airstrikes and retaliatory raids, with significant humanitarian concerns raised by international observers.
Why it matters
The escalating violence between these two nations poses a major security threat to the region and highlights the instability following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan has killed nearly 500 civilians in Afghanistan and wounded over 1,000 others between October and the end of June, the United Nations said on Tuesday (July 28, 2026).
In a report on the human rights situation, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it had documented 499 civilians killed and 1,216 wounded by the fighting between the neighbours that has defied international peace efforts.
In one case, the report said, civilians trying to rescue others from the rubble of an airstrike were hit by a second one. The report also explores other human rights issues, including a deadly crackdown on protests in western Afghanistan over restrictions on women’s clothing, and decrees that essentially legalise child marriage.
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