Afghan forces target civilians in six separate incidents, destroy eight residential houses
Taliban security personnel stand guard near the Torkham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Nangarhar province on February 27, 2026. Pakistan bombed major cities in Afghanistan including the capital Kabul on February 27. PHOTO: AFP
At least nine civilians were killed and 12 others injured in unprovoked cross-border firing and shelling by Afghan forces over the past two months in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district, local authorities confirmed on Thursday.
According to official figures released by Bajaur Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali Khan, the majority of victims were women and children. The attacks took place in the Mamond and Salarzai areas of the district during March and April.
A press release from the district administration detailed six separate incidents in which Afghan forces deliberately targeted civilians in the Laghari Mamond and Taripa Shah Salarzai areas. The cross-border aggression also destroyed eight residential houses.
The deputy commissioner of Bajoor released the list of the names of those who were killed and wounded in Bajoor’s civil society on behalf of the Afghan Taliban. According to the details, during March and April 2026, mortar shells were fired along the border areas of Afghanistan, especially in Mamond and Salarzai… pic.twitter.com/f2TcZcKFxA
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) 30 April 2026
Read: Eight civilians injured in cross-border shelling in South Waziristan: DC
In response, Bajaur district administration and security forces initiated timely and effective action. The affected families received immediate relief and the injured received emergency medical care before being transferred to Peshawar for advanced treatment.
The authorities also initiated steps to rebuild damaged homes, with compensation for destroyed properties, the families of the injured and martyrs to be awarded soon.
The residents expressed sadness and anger at the aggression of the Afghan forces. On April 16, a strong protest was staged by tribal elders, youth and people from all schools, condemning the attack on innocent civilians and demanding an immediate stop to what they called irresponsible actions by Afghan forces.
The district administration and security forces continue to monitor the situation closely and reiterated their commitment to take all possible measures to protect people’s lives and property.
The statement was issued hours after the Lower South Waziristan Deputy Commissioner said eight civilians, including women and children, were seriously injured after cross-border shelling and shelling hit the Angoor Adda area of South Waziristan on April 26 and 29.
The official statement said the shelling caused significant damage to civilian property, with several houses destroyed in the affected area.
On Tuesday, security forces carried out retaliatory strikes on key locations, including the Ariana compound, Dabgai check post, police headquarters and Zakarkhel post, which were destroyed.
The incidents marked a renewed episode of cross-border aggression after a gap of over a month, following Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, which was launched in response to earlier unprovoked hostility from the Afghan side.
Operation Ghazab Lil Haq was launched around the end of February following renewed clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border after Afghan Taliban forces fired at several locations, prompting swift military retaliation from Pakistan.
The neighboring countries have since then been engaged in escalating hostilities along the border. Clashes intensified after Afghanistan launched a border offensive in response to Pakistani airstrikes targeting terrorist positions and subsided during a temporary ceasefire on the occasion of Eidul Fitr.
Also read: Five injured in Afghan cross-border shelling
The escalation in tensions between the two countries followed a series of tit-for-tat actions over the past year.
Pakistan has previously carried out airstrikes targeting TTP and Islamic State camps in Khorasan province inside Afghanistan following a spate of attacks, including a suicide bombing in Islamabad.
Islamabad has long maintained that TTP leaders operate from Afghan territory, a claim that Kabul has repeatedly denied.
Tensions also rose after a series of explosions in Kabul on October 9 last year. Taliban forces subsequently targeted areas along the Pakistan border, prompting Islamabad to respond with cross-border shelling.
The exchanges caused losses and damage to infrastructure on both sides and led to the suspension of trade after the border crossings were closed on 12 October 2025.
