Kabul Warns of Response After Deadly Pakistani Airstrikes

By Staff, Agencies

Afghanistan has warned of retaliation following Pakistani airstrikes on its territory that killed at least 18 people and injured several others.

According to Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry, the overnight strikes on Saturday targeted areas in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar Province and Paktika Province. Officials said “various civilian areas,” including a religious school and residential homes, were hit. Among the reported fatalities were women and children.

Kabul condemned the attack as a violation of international law and the principles of good neighborly relations, holding the Pakistani military responsible for striking civilian and religious sites. In a statement, the ministry pledged a “measured and appropriate response” at a time of its choosing.

Islamabad defended the operation as a retaliatory measure following a recent wave of militant attacks, including a suicide bombing at a Shiite place of worship earlier this month that martyred at least 31 people and wounded nearly 170. The assault was claimed by terrorist group "Islamic State" – Khorasan Province [ISKP].

Pakistan’s Information Ministry said on X that its forces had conducted “intelligence-based, selective targeting” of seven militant camps along the border, identifying them as belonging to the Pakistani Taliban and affiliated groups, including ISKP.

It accused Afghanistan’s Taliban-led authorities of failing to take effective action against armed groups operating from Afghan territory. Pakistani officials asserted that at least 70 militants were killed in the strikes, a claim rejected by the Taliban administration.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari described the operation as an exercise of Pakistan’s right to self-defense against terrorism. He said repeated warnings to Kabul had not produced results and stressed that those responsible for attacks inside Pakistan would be pursued, calling the protection of citizens “paramount and non-negotiable.”

Relations between the two neighbors have remained fragile since a surge in cross-border tensions last October, when both sides accused each other of initiating violence. A ceasefire brokered by Qatar helped halt several days of clashes that left dozens dead. However, subsequent talks held in Istanbul in November failed to yield a formal agreement, leaving bilateral ties strained.