Pakistan says it killed 22 fighters in air attacks on hideouts in Afghanistan, while authorities in Kabul say the strikes on Kunar and Helmand provinces killed nine women and children.
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Key facts
- Pakistan says 22 fighters were killed in air attacks on hideouts in Afghanistan.
- Kabul says the strikes killed nine women and children.
- The strikes targeted Kunar and Helmand provinces.
- The accounts of casualties differ between Islamabad and Kabul.
- The developments were reported on October 1, 2026.
Pakistan has said that air attacks it carried out on hideouts inside Afghanistan killed 22 fighters, according to Al Jazeera. The strikes targeted locations in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Helmand provinces.
Authorities in Kabul gave a different account of the casualties. According to Al Jazeera, Kabul says the strikes killed nine women and children in the two provinces.
The two accounts offer sharply different pictures of who was killed. Islamabad has framed the attacks as hitting fighters, while Kabul has described civilian deaths among women and children.
The reporting identifies Kunar and Helmand provinces as the areas struck. Beyond these details, the available sources do not specify the timing of the attacks, the identities of those killed, or the group or groups Pakistan says it was targeting.
The information available comes from Al Jazeera’s reporting published on October 1, 2026. The differing casualty figures from the two sides had not been independently reconciled in the material provided.
Why it matters
Cross-border air strikes and conflicting casualty claims can heighten tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan and raise concerns about civilian harm. The gap between the two governments' accounts underscores the difficulty of verifying what happens in such operations.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were killed in the strikes?
Pakistan says 22 fighters were killed, while Kabul says the strikes killed nine women and children, according to Al Jazeera.
Where did the strikes take place?
The strikes targeted hideouts in Afghanistan's Kunar and Helmand provinces, according to Al Jazeera.
Why do the casualty figures differ?
Pakistan describes the dead as fighters, while Kabul describes them as women and children. The sources provided do not reconcile the two accounts.
Timeline
- Pakistan says 22 fighters killed in air attacks on Afghanistan hideouts
Al Jazeera: Kabul says the strikes on Kunar and Helmand provinces killed nine women and children.
- Pakistan says 22 fighters killed in air attacks on Afghanistan
Al Jazeera: Kabul says the strikes on Kunar and Helmand provinces killed nine women and children.
- Pakistan launches deadly air attacks on Afghanistan
Al Jazeera: Kabul says the strikes killed 9 women and children in Kunar and Helmand provinces, as Pakistan says 22 fighters killed.