Four members of a single family, including two children, were killed in Pakistani artillery and mortar fire in eastern Afghanistan, according to officials from the Taliban administration.
The incident reportedly occurred early Thursday in Sadqo village in Khost province, close to the Afghanistan–Pakistan border. Authorities in Kabul said the latest deaths bring the number of people killed in Afghanistan since Tuesday due to cross-border clashes to seven.
Civilians among the victims
According to Hamdullah Fitrat, the victims belonged to a nomadic family.
“Four members of a nomad family, including one woman and one man, as well as two children – one girl and one boy – were killed and three other children were wounded,” Fitrat said in a statement posted on social media.
Afghan officials accused Pakistan of deliberately targeting civilian homes and tents belonging to nomadic families. The office of the provincial governor in Khost confirmed the same casualty figures.
Rising tensions along the border
Clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan have intensified in recent weeks, raising concerns about a widening regional conflict.
Fighting escalated on February 26, when Afghanistan reportedly launched an offensive along the shared border in response to earlier Pakistani air strikes targeting the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The air strikes were aimed at militant positions inside Afghanistan, which Pakistan says are linked to attacks carried out within its territory.
Growing humanitarian concerns
The conflict has already displaced thousands of civilians living near the border areas. According to reports from humanitarian organisations, tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes amid ongoing shelling and fighting.
The escalating violence has also raised fears of further instability across the region, particularly as tensions in West Asia continue to rise.
Officials in Kabul have accused Pakistan of escalating hostilities, while Islamabad has previously blamed militant groups operating from Afghan territory for repeated attacks.
Calls for de-escalation
Observers say continued clashes between the neighbouring countries could worsen the humanitarian situation in border provinces.
International analysts and humanitarian agencies have urged both sides to pursue dialogue and diplomatic solutions to prevent further civilian casualties and displacement.
As tensions remain high, residents along the border continue to face uncertainty amid the threat of renewed fighting and artillery exchanges.