Afghan officials said Pakistani ground operations and airstrikes killed at least 36 civilians and wounded more than 160 people in eastern Afghanistan, a serious escalation in a relationship already strained by cross-border militant violence.

Pakistan said the operations followed attacks inside Pakistan and were aimed at militant hideouts. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said targets in Paktia, Paktika and Kunar were destroyed in precision strikes, according to Al Jazeera. Afghan officials rejected that framing and said civilians were killed, including women and children.

The United Nations confirmed at least 28 civilian deaths and said the figure was preliminary, according to AP. That makes the casualty count credible enough to report with attribution, but not final enough to state as a settled total.

The dispute reflects a deeper security breakdown. Pakistan has accused militants operating from Afghan territory of carrying out attacks across the border. Afghanistan's Taliban-led authorities deny sheltering groups that attack Pakistan and have condemned Pakistani strikes as violations of sovereignty.

Paktia province was among the reported strike areas. Local accounts cited by AP described damage and civilian casualties, while Pakistan said the operations targeted armed groups, not residential communities. The gap between those accounts should remain explicit in any published version.

The risk now is retaliation. Afghan authorities have vowed a response, and previous mediation efforts by regional powers have not produced a durable reduction in violence along the border. Any new exchange would add pressure to civilians in provinces already exposed to insecurity and limited health infrastructure.

The verified facts support a cautious formulation: Afghan officials and the U.N. report civilian casualties; Pakistan says it targeted militants; the full toll, target list and sequence of attacks remain contested.