Kabul, March 13 (NationPress) The Afghan Ministry of National Defence announced on Friday that it has executed airstrikes targeting Pakistani military facilities in the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. This action was a direct response to the airstrikes conducted by Islamabad the previous night, which resulted in numerous civilian casualties on the Afghan side.

As detailed in a statement from Kabul, the military fort in Kohat and a command center near the Durand Line were specifically targeted.

In a post shared on X, the Afghan Ministry of National Defence declared, "In retaliation for last night’s incursions by the Pakistani military, Afghan air forces have struck crucial military installations of the Pakistani army in the Kohat region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this morning."

In another update on X, the ministry specified, "The Kohat military fort was hit, along with the war command center situated approximately two kilometers from the fort, which includes the office of the fort’s commander. All were carefully targeted."

"These strikes led to the destruction of the fort’s military installations, command center, supply depots, and accommodations for soldiers, resulting in significant human and material losses," it further stated.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid commented on Friday that Pakistan has initiated new military operations across several Afghan provinces, including Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, and Paktika, causing civilian casualties, including among women and children.

“Continuing a pattern of prior aggressions, the Pakistani military has again bombed areas within Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, and Paktika. In certain instances, civilian homes were targeted, leading to the deaths of women and children, while in other locations, they bombed uninhabited regions,” Mujahid posted on X.

Condemning these attacks, he stated, “This unjust assault during the last ten days of Ramadan and just before Eid al-Fitr clearly shows a disregard for human values. The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns this crime and this blatant aggression, and we will ensure that this injustice is addressed.”

Mujahid accused Pakistani military aircraft of igniting a fire at the fuel storage facility of Kam Air, a private airline, near Kandahar International Airport in Afghanistan.

“This private company provides fuel to commercial airlines and United Nations aircraft. This incident occurred after they had previously burned fuel depots belonging to private traders named Haji Khan Zada,” the Taliban spokesperson added in a post on X.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed on Friday that at least four individuals were killed and 14 others injured due to airstrikes in the Pul-e-Charkhi area of Kabul on Thursday night. They urged an immediate halt to hostilities to prevent further civilian casualties.

"UNAMA has recorded at least four civilian deaths and 14 injuries, including women and children, resulting from airstrikes in Pul-e-Charkhi area in Kabul. We continue to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities to avert further civilian losses," UNAMA announced on X.

"Civilians, predominantly women and children, continue to be the victims of escalating cross-border violence. Since February 26, UNAMA has documented at least 75 civilian fatalities and 193 injuries in Afghanistan due to ongoing armed conflicts," they concluded.