New Delhi:
India on Monday “unequivocally” condemned Pakistan’s attack on civilians in Afghanistan and said it was Islamabad’s “old practice” of blaming its neighbors for its internal failure. Kabul has claimed that Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan’s Paktika province on December 24 last year resulted in the deaths of at least 51 people, including women and children.
Responding to media queries on airstrikes on Afghan civilians, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “We have noted the media reports of airstrikes on Afghan civilians, including women and children, resulting in the loss of several precious lives. “
“We unequivocally condemn any attack on innocent civilians. It is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbors for its own internal failures. We also noted the response of an Afghan spokesperson in this regard,” he added.
Our response to media questions about airstrikes on Afghan civilians:https://t.co/59QC0N6mOY pic.twitter.com/UsrkFGJVBZ
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) January 6, 2025
Pakistani airstrike on Afghanistan
In rare airstrikes, Pakistan targeted several suspected Pakistani Taliban hideouts in neighboring Afghanistan on December 24, killing at least 51 people, including women and children. The attacks were carried out in a mountainous area in Paktika province, bordering Pakistan. The airstrikes hit seven villages, most notably Laman, where five members of one family were killed in the attack.
In the aftermath of the strike, tensions at the border escalated, with the Taliban warning of retaliation against Pakistani aggression.
“Afghanistan considers this brutal act as a blatant violation of all international principles and a clear act of aggression,” Enayatullah Khowrazmi, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said in a statement. “The Islamic Emirate will not let this cowardly act go unanswered.”
Following this, security officials from both countries reported sporadic fighting between border troops along Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Afghanistan’s Khost province.