India on Friday, 4 July 2025, reaffirmed its commitment to the Afghan people through ongoing humanitarian assistance and development projects, even as the region grapples with the aftermath of deadly Pakistani airstrikes that killed at least 36 civilians in three Afghan provinces. The statement came from Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during his weekly media briefing in New Delhi.

India's Condemnation and Humanitarian Stance

Randhir Jaiswal made clear that India had strongly condemned the airstrikes carried out by Pakistan into Afghanistan, in which several civilian lives — including women and children — were lost. 'We had strongly condemned the airstrikes that happened from Pakistan into Afghanistan, in which several civilian lives, including women and children were lost. We had offered our condolences on the passing away of precious lives and we had also at the same time reiterated our strong support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Afghanistan,' Jaiswal said.

He further underscored the breadth of India's ongoing support: 'As far as in terms of support with Afghanistan, we have an ongoing humanitarian assistance cooperation. We have been sending them medicines. We have been sending them other support and we have also been offering development projects which can bring benefit to the lives of people there and that continues.'

The Pakistan Airstrike: What Happened

On 29 June 2025, Taliban Deputy Spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said that at least 36 civilians, including women and children, were killed and 163 others were injured in Pakistani airstrikes targeting Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan. According to Fitrat, the strikes were carried out on Sunday night.

Fitrat alleged that Pakistani forces' jets bombed a civilian residence in Mandokhail village of Tsamkani district, killing one elderly man and a child and injuring several family members. He further alleged that when local residents gathered to conduct rescue operations, the area was bombed a second time, killing 28 villagers and injuring 158 others. In Walust village of Gayan district, a separate strike on a civilian residence killed six individuals, the majority of whom were reportedly women and children. A third strike in Barolo village of Manogai district, Kunar, caused significant property damage.

India's Recent Aid Deliveries to Afghanistan

India's reaffirmation is backed by a sustained track record of assistance. On 17 June 2025, India delivered another five tonnes of essential medicines to Kabul. Before that, on 22 May 2025, India sent 20 tonnes of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and Tetanus, Diphtheria (Td) vaccines to Kabul to bolster immunisation efforts among Afghan children.

This pattern of aid reflects India's long-standing people-centric approach to Afghanistan — one that has continued even under the Taliban administration, with New Delhi carefully separating humanitarian imperatives from diplomatic recognition.

What This Signals for the Region

India's public condemnation of the Pakistani airstrikes and its simultaneous reaffirmation of Afghan support marks a notable diplomatic signal. New Delhi has historically maintained that Afghanistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable — a position that now puts it in direct rhetorical opposition to Islamabad's military actions across the Durand Line. This comes amid already heightened India-Pakistan tensions, adding another dimension to an already complex regional dynamic. How Kabul, Islamabad, and New Delhi navigate the next phase will be closely watched by regional observers.