March 5, 2026
By Kaleem Ullah
LAHORE
As the war between Pakistan and Afghanistan continue, it is people on both sides of the border who continue to pay the heaviest price. Residents of tribal areas say that while they have grown accustomed to daily shelling and insecurity, they have never experienced jet bombers flying overhead, the noise of which has deeply traumatized children, and even adults.
Tribes along the border are bearing the worst brunt of the conflict. Mortar shells fired from both sides have already destroyed dozens of lives, and left the homes and belongings of people ravaged by war. While the same tribe has people living on both sides of the border, their lives are the same when it comes to death and destruction.
Hamza Wazir, a resident of Tehsil Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan, told Voicepk that mortars and shells can land in the area at regular intervals, without warning, creating an atmosphere of fear. “Cross border fighting during the night has forced residents of several villages to flee to nearby areas, while several missiles have landed near a security forces fort.”
Since the conflict began, Pakistan has claimed to have carried out airstrikes at 56 locations inside Afghanistan, while, the Afghan Taliban say they repelled an operation targeting Bagram Air Base. Although Pakistani authorities have not confirmed an attack on the base, Afghan Ministry of Defense spokesperson Enayat Khwarazmi said that an attack did take place but caused no casualties.
A Pakistani military spokesperson also claimed that, in addition to “terrorist hideouts,” military installations such as ammunition depots and battalion headquarters were struck. Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar further claimed that during six days of fighting, 464 Afghan Taliban personnel had been killed, 188 check posts destroyed, 31 posts captured, and 192 tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery guns destroyed.
In response, the Afghan Ministry of Defense claimed that 100 security personnel had been killed across the border and 25 check posts seized. It also alleged drone strikes inside Pakistan. However, these claims could not be independently verified.
Dr Khalil ur Rehman, a resident of Bajaur and local government chairman of Tehsil Mamund, said that since the outbreak of fighting, mortars and heavy shells have been falling on homes and villages, killing and injuring civilians and destroying property.
“We appeal to both governments to stop this war during the holy month of Ramazan. Both are Muslim countries, and Pashtuns on both sides are getting killed,” he said.
Dr Khalil, from Lagari village on the Bajaur-Afghanistan border, says that families on both sides belong to the same tribe but cannot even contact each other by phone due to security concerns. “We cannot call them because it may create problems for us later,” he said.
A correspondent reporting for Voicepk from Bajaur has revealed that Baara Lagharai, in Tehsil Mamund of Bajaur, comprising around 700 to 800 households, has been the worst affected. So far, two people have been killed and six to seven injured due to shelling. Many villagers have migrated owing to mortar fire from the Afghan side.
“Today marks the seventh day of the war, leaving people on both sides in severe distress. Locals do not view this as an ordinary war because members of the same Mamond tribe live on both sides and share close family ties, which is why people feel the impact so deeply,” the correspondent said. Residents are urging their governments to resolve the issue through dialogue.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has also called for an immediate halt to cross-border clashes, warning that the violence is worsening Afghanistan’s fragile humanitarian situation. Between February 26 and March 2, UNAMA recorded at least 146 civilian casualties in Afghanistan, including 42 killed and 104 injured, among them women and children. Casualties were caused by indirect fire hitting residential areas in Paktya, Paktika, Nangarhar, Kunar, and Khost, as well as airstrikes in Paktika and Nangarhar.
Preliminary UN data suggests around 16,400 households have been displaced across affected provinces. Humanitarian access has been restricted, disrupting aid delivery. Medical facilities, including the emergency hospital at the Torkham border, have been damaged. The World Food Programme (WFP) has suspended operations in affected areas, impacting nearly 160,000 people amid already critical levels of acute malnutrition. UNAMA urged all parties to comply with international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, most shells and mortars have landed in tribal areas. On March 2, a shell struck the village of journalist Jamaima Afridi, injuring her cousins. Speaking to Voicepk, she said the incident occurred just before Iftar, while everyone was preparing food. Two homes were hit by stray bullets, injuring four people, two critically, who were referred to a hospital in Peshawar.
She added that a hujra (guest house) had also been hit, forcing some residents to leave the area. While some initially thought the situation would stabilize, crossfire continued, traumatizing residents, especially women and children.
“Whenever the crossfire happened, everyone screamed because it felt like the shells would hit the homes again. More than a hundred residents fled that night with only a few belongings, while those remaining continue to suffer trauma, particularly women and children,” she said.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has also raised alarm over the escalating clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan along the Durand Line, warning of severe humanitarian consequences.
It says that the fighting has already caused civilian casualties, damaged infrastructure, and displaced nearly 66,000 people in eastern and southeastern Afghanistan. Humanitarian operations have been disrupted, with transit centres in Nangarhar damaged and border points at Torkham and Bahramcha suspended, limiting access to aid.
The statement further added that Afghanistan is already facing one of the world’s largest displacement crises, with over five million returnees recorded in the past two years, including 2.6 million in 2025 alone. The ongoing conflict threatens to further strain host communities and leave vulnerable populations—including women, girls, and earthquake-affected IDPs—at heightened risk. IOM emphasized the urgent need for the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers, as well as safe and sustained access for aid delivery.