- Operations raise concerns over civilian safety and counterterrorism strategy.
the Pakistan Army has been accused of carrying out a drone strike on civilians in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, just hours after launching air raids across the border in Afghanistan’s Kunar province. The incident, which struck a residential area in Bara tehsil of Khyber district, left two children dead and at least nine others injured, including women and infants.
The strike hit the Qam Aka Khel area, where homes were directly impacted. Among those wounded are three children under the age of two, highlighting the severity of the attack. Reports from the ground suggest that those affected were non-combatants, raising serious concerns over the nature and targeting of the operation.
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Cross-Border Operations Raise Concerns
The strike inside Pakistan followed closely on the heels of military action in Afghanistan, where airstrikes reportedly hit a university and nearby residential zones in Kunar. Multiple civilian casualties were reported in those attacks, intensifying scrutiny over the conduct and scope of the operations.
Taken together, the back-to-back incidents have fuelled fears that the use of force is extending beyond borders without sufficient safeguards for civilian lives.
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Protests Erupt, Crackdown Follows
Anger spilt onto the streets across the Khyber district late into the night. Protesters, including members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and civil society groups, gathered to demand accountability. Elected representatives Abdul Ghani Afridi and Iqbal Afridi joined demonstrators, staging sit-ins on key roads, while Pashtun leader Khan Wali Afridi led protests outside the Frontier Corps Teaching Hospital.
Chants from demonstrators reflected deep resentment, with some equating the military’s actions to acts of terror.
Security forces responded with force, firing tear gas to disperse crowds before opening fire. At least 11 people were reported seriously injured during the crackdown, further escalating tensions in the region.
Within a single day, the military operations, under the leadership of Chief of Defence Staff Asim Munir, have drawn sharp criticism for causing civilian casualties both within Pakistan and across the Afghan border. Observers say the incidents raise pressing questions about the conduct of counterterrorism strategies and their human cost.
Since September 2025, similar operations have reportedly resulted in 535 civilian deaths in Afghanistan and 59 within Pakistan. Critics argue that these incidents point to a broader pattern in which densely populated areas are exposed to military action, with devastating consequences for civilians.
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