New Delhi: India has strongly condemned the recent air strikes carried out by Pakistan inside Afghanistan, describing the action as an act of aggression that violated the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Reacting to the development, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that the strikes resulted in the deaths of several civilians and damage to civilian infrastructure. Government spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India views the attacks as another example of hostility from Pakistan toward a sovereign Afghanistan. He stressed that the independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan must be fully respected.
The remarks came after the Afghan Taliban government accused Pakistan of conducting air strikes in the capital Kabul as well as in multiple areas of eastern Afghanistan. Afghan authorities reported that the attacks killed at least 16 civilians and injured 15 others.
In response, officials in Kabul stated that the Afghan air force launched retaliatory strikes targeting Pakistani military installations near Islamabad and other locations in northwestern Pakistan.
Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid also alleged that Pakistani aircraft struck fuel storage facilities belonging to the private airline Kam Air near Kandahar International Airport. According to Afghan authorities, the fuel depot supplies aviation fuel used by civilian aircraft and United Nations flights.
Islamabad, however, denied deliberately targeting civilians. Pakistani officials said the operation was aimed at militant groups linked to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and their support networks that they claim operate from across the Afghan border.
Tensions between the two neighbouring countries have been rising for months. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban led administration of sheltering militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan. Afghan authorities have rejected these allegations and maintain that they do not allow militant groups to operate from their territory.
The escalation follows another violent incident in which a roadside bomb targeting Pakistani police killed seven officers in the northwestern district of Lakki Marwat, further heightening security concerns in the region.
