The Indian government strongly condemned the Pakistani air strikes on Afghan territory, which resulted in many civilian casualties, including women and children. “This blatant act of aggression by Pakistan is an assault on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability,” an Indian Foreign Ministry statement on Monday said.
She added that the strikes demonstrate Pakistan’s “pattern of reckless behavior and its futile attempt to justify its internal failures through desperate acts of violence outside its borders.”
“India conveys its condolences to the Afghan families who lost their loved ones, prays for the early recovery of the injured, and reiterates its steadfast support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the ministry added.
What the Taliban said
Earlier, the Taliban-led Afghan government issued a “strong and resolute protest” to Pakistan’s charge d’affaires in Kabul over airstrikes in the eastern provinces that reportedly killed 36 civilians, including women and children, and injured 163 others.
According to a statement issued by the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 10th, the Afghan side summoned the Pakistani diplomat and conveyed its protest against what it described as the violation of Afghan airspace and the bombing of civilian homes in Kunar, Paktia and Paktika provinces.
It further claimed that “the invading Pakistani military regime carried out air strikes on residential homes of civilians” in the affected areas, resulting in heavy civilian casualties.
She added, “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan considers these attacks a clear violation of international principles, humanitarian laws, and the national sovereignty of countries, and strongly condemns them.”
The Afghan Foreign Ministry also accused Pakistan of blaming Afghanistan for its internal security challenges without providing evidence, while alleging repeated cross-border military aggression.
What Pakistan stated is the reason
Pakistan confirmed the raids, with Pakistani Information Minister Atalullah Tarar saying on Sunday evening that security forces in Islamabad had carried out a “ground operation based on well-planned intelligence” along with air strikes in the border area.
The intensity of regional friction escalated sharply after the attack that occurred on Saturday night on the regional headquarters of the Pakistani Sindh Forces in the Golestan Al-Jawhar area of Karachi. The Sindh police chief told Dawn that three Pakistani paramilitary personnel and three attackers were killed after militants rammed the main gate with a vehicle, leading to heavy gunfire and explosions.
Al Jazeera reported that a group affiliated with Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the infiltration of the Karachi garrison.
(Inputs from Annie)
