India Unreservedly Condemns Pakistan's Airstrikes in Afghanistan
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Key Takeaways
New Delhi/Kabul, March 14 (NationPress) In a firm response to what it describes as a blatant act of aggression by the Pakistani establishment against a sovereign Afghanistan, India on Saturday expressed its strong condemnation of the recent airstrikes carried out by Pakistan within Afghan borders. These attacks have resulted in the loss of numerous civilian lives and extensive damage to local infrastructure.
Officials from Afghanistan confirmed that the airstrikes on Friday affected regions including Kabul, Kandahar, Paktika, and Paktia, leading to civilian casualties.
“India denounces the air strikes conducted by Pakistan in Afghan territory, which have resulted in civilian deaths and the destruction of critical infrastructure. This is yet another demonstration of aggression from a Pakistani establishment that continues to challenge the concept of a sovereign Afghanistan,” stated Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in response to queries from the media regarding the recent attacks.
The statement emphasized, “India firmly reiterates that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan must be fully honored.”
Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy spokesperson for the Afghan government, reported on Saturday that four individuals lost their lives and over 25 were injured due to the Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul.
In addition to Kabul, the Pakistani military also targeted Kandahar, Paktika, Khost, and Nangarhar provinces on Thursday night and Friday. Notably, an oil depot was among the targets in Kandahar.
The Afghan Ministry of National Defence announced on Friday that they retaliated by conducting strikes on military facilities in Kohat, located in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, following the airstrikes from Islamabad that caused numerous civilian casualties on the Afghan side.
According to Kabul's statement, the military fort in Kohat and a command center along the Durand Line were hit during the Afghan response.
In a statement shared via X, Afghanistan's Ministry of National Defence remarked, “In reaction to the recent incursions by the Pakistani military, Afghan air forces executed strikes this morning targeting key military facilities and installations of the Pakistani army in the Kohat region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”