Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan have killed civilians, including women and children, the United Nations mission in Afghanistan said, as Islamabad claimed it hit militant hideouts.

The overnight strikes targeted areas in Kunar and Helmand provinces, according to reports. The Taliban government said nine civilians, most of them women and children, were killed. The UN mission confirmed at least ten civilians were killed, most of them children.

Pakistan said the strikes hit two militant hideouts and killed 22 militants. Islamabad accuses Afghan-based groups of carrying out attacks inside Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies.

The strikes mark a serious escalation in cross-border tensions between the two neighbours. The UN said it has documented more than 1,100 civilian casualties in cross-border violence in 2026.

Both sides have traded blame over the violence. Afghanistan’s foreign ministry summoned Pakistan’s envoy to protest, while Pakistan’s foreign office defended the operation as a necessary counterterrorism measure. The UN has urged both countries to protect civilians and resolve their differences through talks.