Pakistan Attacks on Kunar Education Centres Hurt Learning for 12,000 Students

As the world marks the International Day to Protect Education from Attack in 2026, residents of Kunar say Pakistani attacks on schools, religious schools and a university in the province have affected the education of nearly 12,000 students.

According to published information, 12 schools in different parts of Kunar were damaged in the attacks. The incidents mostly affected the districts of Nari and Dangam and, according to residents, disrupted education in these areas and in some provinces near the Durand Line.

Residents say the damage was not limited to schools. On April 28 this year, Syed Jamaluddin Afghan University in Kunar was also targeted and damaged in an attack by Pakistani forces.

According to United Nations figures for 2026, 8,566 attacks on educational infrastructure were recorded worldwide over the past two years. This figure shows an increase compared with 6,000 attacks recorded in 2022 and 2023. Kunar is one of Afghanistan’s eastern provinces, several of whose districts are located along the imaginary Durand Line.