Afghanistan Vows Measured Retaliation Over Pakistani Strikes
The strikes took place overnight Saturday in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar and Paktika.
Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said “various civilian areas” were hit, including a religious school and residential homes, resulting in the deaths of women and children. The ministry described the attacks as “a breach of international law and the principles of good neighborliness.”
“We hold the Pakistani military responsible for targeting civilians and religious sites,” the ministry said. “We will respond to these attacks in due course with a measured and appropriate response.”
Pakistan defended the strikes as a “retributive response” to a recent suicide bombing, including one at a Shiite place of worship earlier this month that killed at least 31 people and injured nearly 170. Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) claimed responsibility.
The Pakistani Information Ministry stated on X that its military “carried out intelligence-based, selective targeting of seven terrorist camps and hideouts belonging to the Pakistani Taliban of FAK and its affiliates and ISKP at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border with precision and accuracy,” accusing Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities of failing to act against militant groups.
Officials claimed at least 70 militants were killed, though the Taliban dismissed this as false.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said the operation was “rooted in Pakistan’s inherent right to defend its people against terrorism,” adding that repeated warnings to Kabul had gone unheeded. He warned that those responsible for attacks in Pakistan “will not remain beyond reach,” emphasizing that protecting citizens is “paramount and non-negotiable.”
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