India slammed Pakistan for its airstrike inside Afghanistan and said that it is Islamabad’s “old practice to blame its neighbours for its internal failures”.
In a statement, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on January 6 “unequivocally” condemned Pakistani out airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan last week, which resulted in 46 deaths, predominantly women and children, according to a Taliban government official.
“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,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“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,” he said, in response to queries regarding the strikes on Afghan civilians.
Pakistan on December 24 targeted multiple suspected hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban inside neighbouring Afghanistan, resulting in the death of at least 51 people, including women and children. The airstrikes were carried out in a mountainous area in Paktika province bordering Pakistan. The airstrikes affected seven villages, particularly Laman, where five members of a single family were killed in the attack.
In the aftermath of the strike, tensions escalated at the border, with the Taliban warning of retaliation against the Pakistani aggression.
“Afghanistan considers this brutal act a blatant violation of all international principles and an obvious act of aggression,” Enayatullah Khowrazmi, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defence, said in a statement. “The Islamic Emirate will not leave this cowardly act unanswered.”
The Taliban also pointed out that the assault was carried out while Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, was in Kabul for official talks.
Pakistani officials said the air strikes targeted the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has been using Afghanistan as a base to carry out attacks on Pakistani security forces.
Taliban leaders have denied these allegations and described the TTP as Pakistan’s internal issue. They have also contended that Pakistan has supported Islamist movements for a long time and is facing the consequences of such actions within its borders.