UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan Richard Bennett has called for accountability following Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Helmand provinces that killed multiple civilians.

“Accountability is paramount after another air strike that has killed civilians, most of them children,” Bennett said in a post on X.

He questioned whether the incident resulted from “incompetence, negligence or worse,” adding that there was no justification for what he described as “irreparable harm” to civilians.

Bennett said the reported incident appeared to violate international human rights and humanitarian law.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it had confirmed that at least 10 civilians were killed and nine others injured in the airstrikes carried out on Thursday.

Four members of a family were killed and seven others wounded in an airstrike in Safar area of Garmser district in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, according to local reports.

The family, originally from Ghazni province, reportedly operated a small restaurant in the area.

The bodies of those killed and the wounded were transported by helicopter to Ghazni province for burial and medical treatment, according to the reports.

Georgette Gagnon, UNAMA’s acting head, visited western Afghanistan, including the Islam Qala border crossing, to see firsthand UN efforts to support millions of Afghans returning from neighboring Iran and Pakistan.

Earlier this year, the UN launched a $529 million response plan aimed at assisting around 2.7 million Afghans expected to return from Iran and Pakistan between April and December 2026.