Pakistan strikes in eastern Afghanistan kill 3, sources say

Pakistani missile strikes in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province killed at least three people and wounded 45 others on Monday, local sources said, in an escalation of cross-border tensions between Taliban and Pakistan.

The strikes targeted areas in Kunar, including Asadabad, the provincial capital. Among the sites hit was the Faculty of Education at Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University, which sustained damage, the sources said.

In addition to the university, several villages and residential areas in and around the city were also struck. While Taliban military positions are located in areas surrounding Asadabad, there were no immediate reports that those sites had been targeted.

Neither Taliban nor Pakistani officials have publicly commented on the reported strikes.

The attacks come as clashes between Taliban and Pakistani troops have intensified along the border. Since late Sunday, the two sides have engaged in at least two rounds of fighting in southern Afghanistan, particularly in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar Province, according to local accounts.

The recent violence follows a week of talks held earlier this month in China, where representatives from both sides sought to ease tensions. Those discussions ended without a clear agreement, leaving underlying disputes unresolved.

Cross-border clashes have persisted for over two months, driven in part by Pakistan’s allegations that militants from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, are operating from Afghanistan’s territory and launching attacks inside Pakistan. Taliban have denied those claims, saying they do not allow any group to use Afghanistan’s soil for attacks against other countries.

Although the intensity of fighting had declined in recent days, the latest missile strikes and renewed clashes suggest the situation remains volatile.

The United Nations has warned of the growing toll on civilians. More than 70 civilians were killed in eastern Afghanistan during the first two weeks of the recent clashes, according to UN figures. In one of the deadliest incidents, airstrikes by Pakistani forces on March 16 struck a rehabilitation center known as Omid in the east of Kabul, killing 269 people, UN figures show.

Residents in border areas have described repeated shelling and displacement, with families forced to flee their homes during periods of intense fighting. Damage to homes, schools and infrastructure has further strained communities already facing economic hardship.