Hundreds of families have been displaced in parts of Khost province along the border following continued attacks by Pakistani forces, local residents said, as cross-border fighting between Pakistan and the Taliban persists.
Residents in districts bordering Pakistan said the areas have experienced heavy shelling and airstrikes in recent days, forcing many families to leave their homes.
“The situation was very worrying,” said Samiullah, a resident of Khost. “There was the sound of gunfire and fighting. People were forced to leave.”
Local sources said Pakistani forces carried out airstrikes in two areas of the province overnight, both of which they described as civilian locations.
According to residents, a 15-year-old civilian was killed in one of the strikes, and a woman was wounded in another.
Residents said the fighting has heightened fears among civilians already facing difficult economic conditions.
“We want civilians not to be targeted,” said Gulab Khan, another resident of Khost. “Ordinary people are completely innocent and already living in very difficult economic circumstances.”
The United Nations has warned that the escalating violence is taking a growing toll on civilians. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said that in the past week alone at least 42 civilians had been killed and 104 others — including women and children — wounded in the clashes.
The fighting between Pakistani forces and the Taliban has continued for the past week along the border areas of eastern Afghanistan.
