NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Monday condemned Pakistan’s recent airstrikes on Afghanistan, which claimed 46 lives, including women and children, in the Paktika province.
In response to media queries regarding the airstrikes on Afghan civilians, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed concern, saying, “We have noted the media reports on airstrikes on Afghan civilians including women and children, in which several precious lives have been lost.”
“We unequivocally condemn any attack on innocent civilians. It is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbours for its own internal failures. We have also noted the response of an Afghan spokesperson in this regard,” MEA added.
The Pakistani airstrikes targeted the Barmal district in Afghanistan’s Paktika province on the night of December 24, killing at least 46 people, including several women and children. Taliban government spokespersons confirmed that six more individuals, primarily children, were injured in the raids. The airstrikes affected seven villages, with Laman, in particular, suffering significant casualties, including the tragic loss of five members from a single family.
In the aftermath of the attacks, tensions escalated at the border. A Pakistani paramilitary soldier was killed, and seven others were wounded during cross-border fire exchanges with Afghan forces. This incident occurred following protests by hundreds of Afghans against the deadly airstrikes launched by Pakistan.
Security officials from both nations reported sporadic fighting, which included heavy weaponry, between border forces along the boundary separating Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Afghanistan’s Khost province.
