New Delhi, September 22 India has condemned Pakistan’s airstrike on Paktika and Kunar in Afghanistan. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal presented India’s position at a press conference on Tuesday.
Responding to a question, Randhir Jaiswal said, “We strongly condemn Pakistan’s attack. Many civilians lost their lives in that violence. Our condolences are with the families of the victims. We wish those injured a speedy recovery. Such aggression is against the integrity and peace of the region. We stand with Afghanistan. Pakistan should reflect on its actions before the world questions them.”
On Monday (September 21), Pakistani airstrikes were carried out in Kunar and Paktika provinces of Afghanistan. According to the Taliban government, three people were killed. Condemning the airstrikes, Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid warned that these attacks would be met with a “befitting response.”
According to Mujahid, Pakistan targeted residential areas in Kunar, where one woman and two men were killed in Pakistani bombing, while two women and two men were injured.
Meanwhile, the Paktika airstrike targeted a local shop and a house. Mujahid accused the Pakistani military leadership of carrying out attacks in Afghanistan to divert attention from security failures within the country.
Mujahid said in an X-post, “We condemn this attack and consider it another example of past crimes. Pakistan’s military leadership is once again resorting to such actions to divert attention from its internal security failures. Afghanistan will respond appropriately to this attack.”
These latest attacks come at a time when tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been steadily rising over the past few months. There have been several exchanges of fire between the two sides, and concerns have grown about civilian casualties.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Taliban of failing to prevent armed groups, particularly the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), from operating from Afghan soil. However, Afghan officials have denied this allegation.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on July 28 that cross-border armed violence in Afghanistan between April 1 and June 30 killed 57 people and injured 342 others.
In its report, UNAMA stated that airstrikes and ground fighting were the main causes of civilian casualties. According to the report, Pakistani security forces were responsible for all civilian casualties recorded in cross-border violence during this period.
