The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Afghanistan has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Afghan people and strengthening the international response to the country’s humanitarian and development needs.

The group met in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the latest humanitarian and development situation in Afghanistan and ways to strengthen international support.

OIC Secretary-General Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to the Afghan people, highlighting an approach based on engagement and practical cooperation with Afghanistan’s de facto authorities.

He said such engagement should serve the interests of the Afghan people while helping ensure the continuity of humanitarian assistance.

The OIC Secretary-General also highlighted the organization’s work through its mission and field office in Kabul, particularly in the areas of girls’ education, healthcare and social cohesion.

The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face significant humanitarian and development challenges, with international organisations and aid agencies calling for sustained support for the Afghan population.

India on Tuesday condemned Pakistan’s airstrikes on border areas of Afghanistan, which Afghan officials said killed civilians, warning that such “aggression” against a sovereign neighbour threatens regional peace and security.

“We strongly condemn the attacks from Pakistan, the air strikes which were launched on Afghanistan in Kunar and Paktika provinces. In these air strikes, several civilians have been killed,” Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

“Such instances of aggression against a sovereign neighbour is something that goes against regional peace and security,” he added.

Jaiswal also reaffirmed India’s support for Afghanistan’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and expressed condolences for those killed and hopes for the recovery of the injured.

Afghan officials said the strikes killed three civilians and injured four others, and damaged structures including houses and shops. Pakistan’s information ministry, however, said the strikes killed 28 militants.

The strikes were reportedly carried out in retaliation for a militant attack on a police facility in northwestern Pakistan that killed 24 people on Friday. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Kabul would respond to what he described as Pakistani aggression.

The United Nations has reiterated its call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law after at least three civilians were killed and four others injured in apparent airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at the UN Daily Press Briefing on Monday that the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) had confirmed the civilian casualties following the reported strikes early Monday.

The victims included a man, a woman and a girl, according to UNAMA.

“We reiterate our call for respect for international humanitarian law to prevent civilian casualties,” Dujarric said, adding that the United Nations continues to monitor the situation closely.

Dujarric also said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) had received reports of airstrikes in Barmal district of Paktika province, where residential structures were reportedly damaged. No serious civilian casualties had been reported there, he added.

The UN said UNAMA has documented more than 1,100 civilian deaths and injuries in Afghanistan so far this year linked to cross-border armed violence.

The comments followed Pakistan’s announcement that it had carried out what it described as “calibrated” strikes against militant targets along the border with Afghanistan. Pakistan said 28 militants were killed and claimed the targets included militant hideouts and a training facility.

Afghan authorities have condemned the strikes. Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires in Kabul and lodged a formal protest, while Afghan officials have rejected Pakistan’s allegations that attacks inside Pakistan are being carried out from Afghan territory.

The latest escalation has renewed concerns over the impact of cross-frontier hostilities on civilians in Afghanistan’s border provinces, with the UN again stressing the need for all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and take measures to protect civilians.