Rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have sparked a series of deadly air strikes in recent weeks. The two countries had previously declared a ceasefire in October 2025 − after attacks along their shared border that killed dozens of people on both sides.
Now, several hundred people have been killed and many more injured in new attacks – including soldiers, government officials and civilians.
Most recently, over 400 people were killed in a Pakistani air strike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, according to the Taliban. Pakistani officials deny this and claim they bombed a militant camp, not a hospital.
With both sides providing different accounts of who is being targeted and why, it is hard to know exactly how many civilians are being harmed by this violence. What we do know is that the Pakistani defence minister declared an “open war” against Afghanistan. Several countries have called for a ceasefire, including neighbouring China and Russia.
