One person died and 16 others sustained injuries when Pakistani forces launched rocket and heavy weapon attacks on residential areas in Afghanistan’s Kunar province. The shelling, which occurred near Asadabad and nearby homes, raised concerns about a potential border escalation. Taliban spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat reported that the attack on civilian homes took place around 5 p.m. on Sunday, with the injured individuals rushed to the hospital for treatment, as per Afghanistan’s leading news agency Khaama Press.
The recent assault follows renewed fighting along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border post a brief Eid ceasefire collapse. Islamabad claims its military actions target militants using Afghanistan to launch attacks within Pakistan, a stance disputed by the Taliban. Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have heightened in recent weeks due to airstrikes, artillery fire, and mutual accusations.
Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary Arbab Shehzad Khan announced that the Pakistan-Afghanistan peace jirga is scheduled for March 31 in Peshawar to encourage both nations’ leadership to reduce tensions and strive for peace. The jirga, organized by Aspire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Qaumi Islahi Tehreek, will involve national and political leaders, tribal elders, religious scholars, civil society members, traders, and media representatives from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Afghan residents in Pakistan. Khan stressed the importance of dialogue over conflict, emphasizing the jirga’s focus on sustainable peace through mutual respect, confidence-building measures, and negotiations. The forum aims to promote peace, stability, dialogue, and cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with a joint declaration supporting peace to be issued post the jirga’s conclusion and forwarded to the governments of both nations.
