Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, has demanded accountability after Pakistani airstrikes in Kunar and Helmand provinces killed at least 10 civilians.
The call for accountability came after the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed that the strikes early on Thursday resulted in at least 10 civilian deaths and nine injuries, with children comprising the majority of the victims. Following this confirmation, Mr. Bennett wrote on the social media platform X that there is no justification for harming civilians.
"Accountability is paramount after another airstrike kills civilians, most of them children," the UN official stated. He questioned the nature of the act, asking, "Was it incompetence, negligence or something worse?"
Bennett added, "In any case, there is no justification for causing such irreparable harm to civilians, and it appears to be a violation of human rights and international humanitarian law."
This stance follows strong condemnation from the Taliban administration. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had earlier labeled the bombing of residential areas in the Shaltan district of Kunar and the Garmsir district of Helmand as "aggression and a crime."
In contrast, Pakistan's Ministry of Information described the attacks as part of "Operation Ghazab lil-Haq." The ministry claimed that its fighter jets targeted centers of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch separatists based on intelligence, killing "22 terrorists."
Richard Bennett, who regularly monitors the human rights situation in Afghanistan, has previously expressed concerns about civilian casualties in border conflicts and emphasized the need for all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law.
Source: Richard Bennett, UNAMA
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