Pakistan Strikes Dangam District, Kunar — 3 Civilians Killed, 14 Injured; Taliban Calls It 'War Crime'

May 5, 2026: Pakistani military strikes hit civilian areas in Dangam district, Kunar province, killing 3 civilians and injuring 14 others, according to Afghan Taliban officials and local authorities in Kunar. Afghanistan's Taliban-led government condemned the strikes as deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure — including homes, schools, a health centre, and mosques — and labelled them a 'war crime' under international humanitarian law. Taliban Deputy Spokesman Bilal Karimi stated the strikes represented a continuation of Pakistan's pattern of 'unlawful military aggression against Afghan soil and civilian populations.' Afghanistan's acting Information Minister called on the UN Security Council and the broader international community to take decisive action against Pakistan's cross-border operations. Al Jazeera's reporting confirmed Afghan officials' accounts of civilian casualties and facility destruction in Dangam district. Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting denied the allegations, characterizing the Taliban's claims as 'propaganda' inconsistent with aerial and satellite imagery of the area. Pakistani authorities reiterated their position that Operation Ghazab lil-Haq's strikes remained targeted at TTP and militant infrastructure, not civilian facilities. The Ministry did not confirm or deny conducting operations in Dangam on May 5. The Dangam district strike occurred on the same day as Pakistan's 275th Corps Commanders' Conference, at which Field Marshal Asim Munir directed commanders that the operation would continue until the Taliban provides 'credible guarantees' on TTP. The strike deepened the bilateral impasse, coming as the Urumqi Round 2 peace process remained unscheduled and no ceasefire was in force — and just three days after Pakistan's Foreign Office had publicly claimed 52 Pakistani civilians killed by cross-border Afghan attacks.