Reports indicate that at least seven people were killed and more than 75 others injured following an हमला allegedly carried out by Pakistan in the eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan. Among the victims were students and teachers from Kunar University, according to multiple sources.
Officials from the Taliban administration stated that at least 30 of the আহত were university students, highlighting the गंभीर impact of the attack on educational institutions. However, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information strongly denied targeting the university or civilian areas, describing the reports as false and misleading.
The incident comes at a time of rising tensions between the two neighboring countries. Just weeks earlier, Pakistan carried out an airstrike on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital. According to the United Nations, that attack resulted in the deaths of at least 269 people.
Taliban authorities reported that artillery and missiles were used in the Kunar attack, while other sources suggested that fighter jets and drones may have been involved. A university professor, who requested anonymity, told reporters that loud and frightening explosions were heard across the campus during the incident.
Matiullah Shahab, an independent journalist and human rights activist based in Asadabad, said he was about one kilometer away from the university when the attack occurred. He described hearing intense bombardment around 2:00 PM and witnessing civilians fleeing the area, with several injured individuals being transported to hospitals.
افغانستان’s Ministry of Higher Education later confirmed that significant damage had been inflicted on university buildings and surrounding areas.
Cross-border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan have led to hundreds of casualties in recent months. Although a fragile ceasefire had been in place following China-mediated talks held in Urumqi earlier in April, the latest attack appears to have undermined those efforts.
Breaking their earlier silence, Taliban spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat condemned the Kunar attack, calling it a “serious war crime, unjustifiable act, and a clear provocation.”
Pakistan, which has also been playing a mediating role in tensions between Iran and the United States, maintains that its military operations target militant hideouts inside Afghanistan.
Despite historically supporting the Taliban, relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated. Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban of harboring Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group responsible for attacks inside Pakistan.
While Pakistan has received international recognition for its diplomatic role in facilitating talks between Tehran and Washington, no significant progress has yet been achieved. Meanwhile, its strained relations with neighboring countries, including Afghanistan and India, continue to raise concerns about regional stability.
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