No fewer than 42 civilians were killed and 104 wounded in nearly a week of cross-border fighting between Afghan and Pakistani forces.
The United Nations (UN) Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Tuesday.
The casualties occurred between Feb. 26 and March 2, as the clashes entered a sixth consecutive day.
Women and children were among the dead and injured, and the figures remained preliminary, the UN mission said.
According to UNAMA, most of the casualties were caused by indirect fire hitting residential areas during the fighting, as well as Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghan provinces.
The violence has displaced an estimated 16,400 households, further worsening Afghanistan’s already dire humanitarian situation, the mission warned.
UNAMA called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urged all parties to comply with international law, particularly with regard to the protection of civilians.
The neighbouring countries have experienced intermittent hostilities since October 2025, with mediation efforts failing to secure a lasting agreement.
Tensions escalated again after Pakistan conducted airstrikes in two Afghan provinces on Feb. 22 that killed at least a dozen civilians, according to the UN.
Both sides have claimed to have inflicted casualties, captured outposts and carried out successful strikes, though those assertions could not be independently verified.
Islamabad accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of supporting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has carried out attacks inside Pakistan for years.
Kabul has denied the allegation. (dpa/NAN)
