Afghanistan Accuses Pakistan of War Crimes Over Cross-Border Civilian Deaths

Afghanistan formally accuses Pakistan of committing a war crime by killing three civilians during a cross-border attack. This incident represents the most recent test of a fragile ceasefire agreement signed between the two nations last month. The Taliban-led government in Kabul has condemned the violence as a deliberate strike against non-combatants.

The assault on Monday marked a significant blow to the peace process brokered by China in April. Months of intense fighting along the border previously left hundreds of people dead or injured. Afghanistan's deputy government spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, stated on X that fourteen others suffered injuries in the same incident. He claimed Islamabad intentionally targeted civilian infrastructure in Dangam, Kunar province.

Fitrat specifically alleged that the attackers destroyed homes, schools, a health centre, and mosques. Islamabad has firmly rejected these accusations. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting suggested that Kabul staged the destruction to discredit Pakistan. Officials argued that images released by Afghanistan showed damage inconsistent with artillery strikes.

The ministry further claimed the incident was part of a propaganda effort following cross-border attacks in March and April. Those earlier strikes killed nine people, and Islamabad blamed its neighbor for the violence. Tensions escalated further late Monday when one person died in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Security forces foiled a suicide attack at a checkpoint near the Afghan border.

Several others were injured when security personnel fired on the attacker's vehicle. The car, packed with explosives and heading toward a military post, exploded before reaching its target. Muhammad Amir Rana, director of the Pak Institute for Peace Studies, told Al Jazeera that Pakistan faces multiple challenges in executing such attacks.

Rana noted that precision remains a real problem for Pakistan regarding its cross-border strikes. He stated that effective intelligence is the critical missing link for controlling collateral damage. He also observed that Pakistan's security situation has worsened considerably since the war on Iran began on February 28. Rana expressed little hope for a diplomatic breakthrough anytime soon.

He added that Pakistan's diplomatic capital is growing while it refuses to offer concessions to Kabul. Meanwhile, the Afghan side questions why it should make any concessions at all. Islamabad continues to accuse Afghanistan of harboring Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, a Pakistani offshoot of the Afghan Taliban. Kabul denies this accusation.