Fresh outrage grips the region after Pakistan’s airstrikes ravaged Afghan provinces, killing civilians and infrastructure alike. Amnesty International leads the charge for an exhaustive, neutral investigation into the February 21-22 operations in Nangarhar and Paktika, decrying the needless loss of life.
The toll is stark: UNAMA confirms 13 dead—including mothers and kids—in Nangarhar’s Bahsood and Khogyani zones from 11:15 PM barrages, plus seven hurt. Paktika’s Bermal district mourned a struck school and mosque; Orgun grieved a demolished residence by 1:45 PM.
Amnesty’s voice rings clear: ‘Thorough, independent verification of these civilian harms is imperative.’ Reiterating appeals to conflict actors, it demands adherence to international protocols for civilian safety, amid a sorry history of breaches.
Prior UNAMA findings indicted Pakistan for 70 civilian kills and 478 casualties in 2025 border flare-ups with Taliban forces. Afghanistan’s military responded fiercely, terming the strikes sovereignty infringements, aggressive overreach, and betrayals of diplomacy and faith.
Promising timely counteraction, Kabul exposed the hits on religious sites and dwellings as glaring Pakistani failures. UNAMA piled on criticism, calling for hostility’s halt and rights observance.
This brazen airspace violation, amid Kabul’s narrative of serial provocations, tests regional stability. Amnesty’s push for truth could be the catalyst for de-escalation in this powder keg.