The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says civilian casualties are increasing amid the latest escalation of violence in Afghanistan.

According to UNAMA, at least four civilians were killed and 14 others injured — including women and children — in Pakistani airstrikes in the Pul-e-Charkhi area of Kabul on Thursday night.

The UN mission expressed concern over the continued violence and called for an immediate halt to hostilities to prevent further civilian casualties.

UNAMA noted that civilians, particularly women and children, are paying the heaviest price for the recent escalation. The agency reported that since February 26, at least 75 civilians have been killed and 193 others injured across Afghanistan as a result of ongoing armed clashes.

Earlier, Georgette Gagnon, Acting Head of UNAMA and Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, warned that the United Nations remains deeply concerned about the rising tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Speaking at a press conference, Gagnon said that although clashes have so far been largely concentrated in border areas, continued exchanges of fire carry serious risks. She added that the incidents have now entered their 14th consecutive day, affecting six provinces and eight districts across Afghanistan.

Gagnon emphasized that the United Nations is closely monitoring the impact of the conflict on civilians, including casualties, displacement, and growing restrictions on humanitarian access.

In a retaliatory move following last night’s Pakistani military airstrikes, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense announced that Afghan Air Forces conducted precision airstrikes early this morning on military sites in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to the ministry, the targeted strikes destroyed a key military fort in Kohat and hit strategic locations near the Durand Line, including a command center and the fort commander’s office, located around two kilometers away.

The Ministry of Defense claimed that the strikes neutralized several military facilities, ammunition depots, and troop quarters, inflicting significant damage to Pakistani forces. Afghan authorities also reported heavy personnel and material losses for the enemy as a result of the operation.

These airstrikes come amidst a rising civilian death toll, with Pakistan’s airstrike in Kabul’s Pul-e-Charkhi area on the night of March 12 reportedly killing four civilians, including women, and injuring over 30 others. The escalating violence has sparked growing concerns over the safety of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has strongly condemned recent airstrikes that he says were carried out by Pakistan Armed Forces in several provinces of Afghanistan, describing the attacks as a “clear act of aggression” that caused civilian casualties.

In a statement released on Friday, Mujahid said the strikes took place in multiple locations, including Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia and Paktika provinces, as well as other areas.

According to the spokesman, some of the airstrikes struck residential houses, resulting in the deaths of civilians, including women and children. Other strikes reportedly hit areas that were uninhabited.

Mujahid said the timing of the attacks — during the final days of the holy month of Ramadan and on the eve of Eid al-Fitr — showed that those responsible “do not adhere to humanitarian principles or moral values.”

“The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns this crime and clear aggression in the strongest terms, and this cruelty will not go unanswered,” Mujahid said.

He also claimed that one of the airstrikes targeted a fuel storage facility belonging to Kam Air near Kandahar International Airport. According to Mujahid, the facility supplied fuel to civilian airlines as well as aircraft operated by the United Nations.

Mujahid further alleged that in a previous similar incident, another fuel depot owned by an Afghan trader, Haji Khanzada, was also targeted.