In a brazen escalation of border hostilities, Pakistani forces unleashed missile and mortar fire on Afghanistan’s Kunar province, killing seven and injuring more than 75. The Monday onslaught hit Asadabad and Sarkano, zeroing in on civilian zones including the Sayed Jamaluddin Afghan University.
Hospital sources reported a steady stream of casualties, including vulnerable women and children, straining medical facilities to the limit. Rescue operations continue amid fears that the death toll will climb higher. The university campus, a hub for learning, was pummeled by shells, injuring 30 students and employees while shattering structures and sowing widespread terror.
Residents recounted deafening blasts and choking smoke, prompting frantic escapes from homes under the threat of aerial assaults. The Higher Education Ministry decried the strike as a ruthless assault on knowledge and Afghanistan’s future, urging international condemnation of what it termed a ‘cruel violation’ of global standards.
Amid a backdrop of heightened friction, both nations trade blame for stoking unrest. Recent months have seen repeated gunfire exchanges, claiming innocent lives and derailing mediation attempts. This latest provocation strikes at the heart of education, amplifying calls for restraint and accountability in a dangerously fragile frontier.
