Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of killing three civilians in ‘war crime’

Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government has accused neighbouring Pakistan of killing three civilians in a cross-border attack, which Kabul has condemned as a “war crime”.

The incident on Monday marked the latest test of a fragile ceasefire between the two countries, brokered by China in April, following months of cross-border fighting that left hundreds dead and injured.

Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, said on X that 14 others were injured in the attack. He accused Islamabad of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure, including homes, schools, a health centre, and mosques in Dangam, Kunar province, which lies along the border with Pakistan.

Islamabad has dismissed the allegations. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting suggested Kabul may have staged the destruction, saying in a post on X that images released by Afghanistan showed damage inconsistent with artillery strikes. It said the incident could be part of a “propaganda effort” to discredit Pakistan, following cross-border attacks in March and April that killed nine people and that Islamabad blamed on its neighbour.

The rise in tensions comes as one person was killed late on Monday in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the Afghan border, when security forces foiled a suicide attack at a checkpoint.

Several others were injured as security personnel opened fire on the attacker’s car, which was packed with explosives and heading towards a military post. The vehicle exploded before reaching its target.

Director of the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) Muhammad Amir Rana told Al Jazeera that Pakistan faces multiple challenges in carrying out cross-border attacks.

“Precision is a real problem for Pakistan when it comes to its cross-border strikes. Effective and foolproof intelligence is the critical missing link – without it, controlling collateral damage becomes the central challenge. What we are also seeing is that Pakistan’s security situation has worsened considerably since the war on Iran began on February 28,” he said.

Rana added he was not hopeful of a diplomatic breakthrough anytime soon.

“Pakistan’s diplomatic capital is growing and it is not willing to offer any concessions to Kabul, while the Afghan side is asking why it should concede anything,” he said.

Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of harbouring Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a Pakistani offshoot of the Afghan Taliban that is waging an armed rebellion against the government. Kabul denies the accusation.