KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – India has condemned Pakistan’s recent airstrikes inside Afghanistan that reportedly killed civilians and damaged civilian infrastructure.
In a statement released on Saturday, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, described the strikes as “ yet another act of aggression by a Pakistani establishment that remains hostile to the idea of a sovereign Afghanistan.”
He added that India ” reiterates that Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity should be fully respected..”
Pakistan carried out airstrikes on Thursday targeting locations in four Afghan provinces: Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia and Paktika.
According to figures from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), at least four civilians were killed and 14 others, including women and children, were injured in the strikes in Kabul. No casualties have been reported from the other provinces so far.
The Taliban said that a fuel depot belonging to the airline Kam Air was struck in Kandahar during the attacks.
Pakistan, however, said it targeted facilities belonging to “terrorists.” Pakistani officials also claimed that the fuel depot in Kandahar belonged to the Taliban, but Kam Air later confirmed that the facility was owned by the company.
The strikes come amid rising tensions along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border.
Relations between the Taliban and Pakistan have deteriorated in recent months over border security issues, trade disputes, and Islamabad’s concerns about militant activity along the Afghan–Pakistani border. Pakistan was previously one of the Taliban’s closest regional supporters.
In contrast, the Taliban have expanded engagement with India, which has continued humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan despite not formally recognizing the Taliban government. Since August 2021, India has provided food aid, medical supplies, and other humanitarian assistance to Afghans.
