Pakistan has launched air attacks on drone launchpads inside Afghanistan, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said. The aerial strikes targeted ten locations for launching and storing drones that crossed into Pakistan on Wednesday. Tarar said Pakistan's air defense systems "neutralized all intruding platforms before they could reach any of their intended targets." He added that Pakistan's response was "deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate, and strictly limited to identified military objectives directly linked to the attempted attacks."
The Afghan authorities have not yet issued an official response regarding the strikes or the damage inside their territory. This latest escalation comes after militant attacks rose in Pakistan's border areas in recent months. Islamabad has accused Kabul of hosting the militants and launched attacks inside Afghanistan in response. Kabul, however, says the strikes are hitting civilians.
Islamabad struck alleged militant hideouts in Afghanistan earlier this week, in retaliation for a car-bomb attack on a mosque in a police facility in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on September 18 that killed at least 16 people. Pakistan claimed that the strikes, in the Nurgal district of Kunar province and the Barmal district of Paktika province, killed 28 militants.
Afghanistan's Taliban government said three civilians were killed, including a woman. A Taliban government spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, warned that there would be an "appropriate response." Tarar said Thursday that Pakistan will "neither accept nor tolerate attacks launched from Afghan territory, whether by terrorist groups or by the Afghan Taliban regime itself."
Tarar also called on the Taliban government to take action against the terror groups operating from Afghanistan, and warned against further provocations. The situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been tense, with both countries exchanging accusations and threats. Pakistan has been demanding that Afghanistan take action against militant groups operating from its soil.
The air strikes by Pakistan are seen as a significant escalation of the conflict between the two countries. The international community has been urging both countries to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue to resolve their differences. The conflict has raised concerns about the stability of the region and the potential for further violence.
The incident has also raised questions about the effectiveness of Pakistan's air defense systems and the ability of the Afghan authorities to respond to such attacks. The situation remains volatile, and it is unclear how the conflict will unfold in the coming days.
Key points
- Pakistan launched air attacks on drone launchpads inside Afghanistan.
- The strikes were in response to an alleged drone incursion from Afghanistan.
- The Afghan authorities have not yet issued an official response regarding the strikes.
