Afghanistan Says Pakistan Strikes Killed 9 Civilians, Pakistan Says It Hit Only Terrorists
Afghanistan says Pakistan's 1 October strikes killed 9 civilians in Kunar and Helmand. Pakistan says only terrorist hideouts were hit. What each side says.
Afghanistan's Taliban administration says Pakistan's air strikes on Thursday 1 October 2026 killed nine civilians and injured 11 in Kunar and Helmand provinces. Pakistan says it hit only terrorist hideouts and that no collateral damage occurred. Neither claim has been independently checked.
The Afghan figures come from the Taliban administration's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, as carried by Bakhtar, Afghanistan's state news agency, which we read on 1 October. Some reports give the toll as 10. Pakistan's position is from its information ministry, its military spokesman and its Foreign Office, all on 1 October. Pakistan's own statement on the air strikes, issued earlier on Thursday, said 22 terrorists were killed.
Afghan authorities say nine civilians were killed in Kunar and Helmand
Afghanistan's Taliban administration says nine people, all civilians, were killed and 11 were injured. Its spokesman said Pakistani aircraft struck homes in the Chugam area of Shaltan district in Kunar, and the Safar area of Garmser district in Helmand, early on 1 October.
Mujahid said women and children were among the dead and that three houses were destroyed, according to the state agency. He condemned the strikes and called them aggression.
The same agency also published two local reports. One, citing local sources in Helmand, said four people were killed and eight injured in Garmser at about 3:30 am. The other, citing a local official in Kunar, said five people were killed and three wounded in Shaltan at about 3 am. Those two reports add up to nine dead and 11 injured, which matches the spokesman's total.
Pakistan says it struck only terrorist hideouts
Pakistan says its targets were terrorist camps, not homes. The information ministry said on 1 October that "maximum precautions were taken" and that no collateral damage occurred. It said initial reports suggest 22 terrorists were killed at two locations.
A later Radio Pakistan report said the hideouts and camps belonged to Fitna al Khawarij and Fitna al Hindustan. It said they were hit by "precise aerial and drone strikes" under Operation Ghazab lil Haq. Fitna al Khawarij is the government's name for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Fitna al Hindustan is its name for armed groups in Balochistan.
Pakistan has not named the two places it struck. So it has not said whether they were the same places in Kunar and Helmand that the Afghan side named.
The military spokesman and the Foreign Office gave Pakistan's view
Pakistan's military spokesman said on 1 October that Pakistan has a right to self-defence and has nothing against Afghanistan or the Afghan people. The Foreign Office said the two sides remain in touch through different channels.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), spoke at a news conference in Rawalpindi. Radio Pakistan reported him saying there is no compromise on Pakistan's territorial integrity and sovereignty. He said the problem is with the Afghan Taliban regime. Reports also quote him saying the targets were "military targets" chosen on intelligence, with great care to avoid harm to civilians. ISPR's website blocked our request, so we could not read his full remarks there.
At the Foreign Office's weekly briefing on 1 October, the spokesperson said Pakistan wants friendly relations with Afghanistan. But the spokesperson said the infiltration and activities of terrorist groups "has to come to a stop". The spokesperson also said Pakistan "categorically rejects" Afghan allegations over the recent fighting in Nuristan.
| Question | Afghan side | Pakistan |
|---|---|---|
| Who was hit | Civilians in homes | Terrorist camps and hideouts |
| Deaths | 9 civilians | 22 terrorists, initial reports |
| Injured | 11 | Not stated |
| Places | Shaltan, Kunar; Garmser, Helmand | Two locations, not named |
| Civilian harm | Yes | None, Pakistan says |
| Independent check | None found by 1 October night | |
This is the latest in a week of claims and denials
The two governments have traded claims since late September. Afghan authorities made a similar civilian claim after strikes on 20 September, and summoned Pakistan's chargé d'affaires on 29 September over Nuristan. Pakistan has rejected the Nuristan allegations twice.
The steps so far, as stated by each side:
- 21 September. Mujahid said Pakistani strikes in Kunar and Paktika the night before killed three civilians, according to the Afghan state agency.
- 27 September. Pakistan rejected Afghan claims linking it to fighting in Nuristan.
- 29 September. Afghanistan's foreign ministry summoned Pakistan's chargé d'affaires in Kabul with a protest letter over Nuristan.
- 1 October, morning. Pakistan announced strikes on two locations in Afghanistan.
- 1 October. Afghan authorities said nine civilians were killed. Pakistan said no collateral damage occurred.
Inside Pakistan, attacks have also risen. A suicide blast in the Dera Ismail Khan checkpost attack on 26 September killed 11 people.
No independent body has confirmed either account
No neutral body had confirmed the death toll from either side by 1 October night. The UN mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, had not issued a statement on these strikes when we checked its press page.
So the honest position is simple. Afghanistan says nine civilians died. Pakistan says 22 terrorists died and no civilians were harmed. Both cannot be fully right, and we cannot yet say which is closer.
Be careful with videos and pictures shared on social media about the strikes. Do not forward casualty claims you cannot trace to an official source.
Common questions
How many civilians does Afghanistan say were killed?
Nine, with 11 injured, according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. Some reports give the toll as 10.
Where does Afghanistan say the strikes hit?
The Chugam area of Shaltan district in Kunar, and the Safar area of Garmser district in Helmand, according to the Afghan state agency.
What does Pakistan say?
Pakistan says it struck terrorist hideouts at two locations, killed 22 terrorists by initial reports, and caused no collateral damage.
Has anyone confirmed the civilian deaths?
No. No independent body had confirmed either side's figures by 1 October night, and UNAMA had issued no statement on these strikes.
Are the Torkham and Chaman crossings closed?
We found no official Pakistani notice about the crossings linked to these strikes by 1 October night. Check the Interior Ministry and district administration before you travel.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 1 October 2026 at about 23:30 PKT. The Afghan figures, places and times are from the spokesman's statement and two local reports carried by Afghanistan's state news agency, which we have not independently checked. Pakistan's position is from Radio Pakistan's reports of the information ministry statement and the ISPR news conference, and the Foreign Office briefing transcript of 1 October. The DG ISPR quote on military targets is as reported, because the ISPR website blocked our request.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
