Pakistani airstrike kills 10 in single home in eastern Afghanistan, sources say

Pakistan’s airstrike on a residential area in eastern Afghanistan killed at least 10 people — including women and children — in a single home on Friday, local sources in Paktika province told Amu TV.

The airstrike targeted a house in the village of Khanadar in Urgun district, sources said.

The home belonged to a resident identified as Mirajan Qasab. The sources said the victims were returning from a local cricket match in Sharana, the provincial capital, when the strike occurred.

Twelve others were reported wounded in the attack.

The incident follows an earlier announcement by the Afghanistan Cricket Board, which said three local players — Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon — were among the eight people killed in a separate strike in the same area. The board has since withdrawn from an upcoming cricket series with Pakistan in protest.

Despite reports of an extended ceasefire between the Taliban and Pakistan, local sources said Pakistani forces launched fresh airstrikes Friday evening targeting parts of Orgun and Barmal districts.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said Thursday that 37 civilians had been killed and 425 injured in cross-border violence over the past week. The highest casualty numbers were reported in the provinces of Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Kunar, Kandahar and Helmand.

Border tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan have intensified in recent days, marking one of the most violent escalations since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Analysts have warned that continued clashes could destabilize the fragile ceasefire and raise the risk of broader regional instability.