Pakistan airstrikes in Afghanistan, claim 4 civilians dead, Kabul warns

Pakistan has once again launched an air strike in Afghanistan. Earlier on Thursday, Pakistani warplanes claimed to have hit 10 targets in Kandahar, Khost and Paktia provinces. According to the Afghan Taliban government, four civilians have been killed in these attacks. Afghanistan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid strongly condemned Pakistan’s action and called it an aggressive attack against Afghanistan. He said that Afghanistan will give a jaw-dropping response to this action by Pakistan.

Pakistan has claimed that Afghan Taliban forces attacked its border security positions with eight drones a day earlier. Pakistan also said that Afghan border forces fired mortars and heavy weapons at Pakistani border posts. However, Kabul has rejected Pakistan’s allegations of drone strikes. The Afghan government says that Pakistan is making such allegations to justify its military action.

Tensions were heightened by the second major attack in a row

This is Pakistan’s second major air operation in Afghanistan in a few days. On Monday too, Pakistan carried out attacks in eastern Afghanistan. Pakistan claimed to have targeted militants in the operation, while Afghan officials reported the death of three civilians and the wounding of four others. The United Nations Afghanistan Mission also confirmed civilian deaths in that attack.

Kabul’s message – maintain relations as neighboring countries

Afghanistan says border disputes and security-related issues should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy rather than military aggression. Former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai has also appealed to Pakistan to adopt the path of good neighborly relations and to develop relations between the two countries in a peaceful and civilized manner. Mediation efforts are also underway from China, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia amid rising tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In such a situation, there is fear of further escalation of tension in the area due to continuous cross-border attacks.