Afghanistan Condemns Pakistan Airstrikes in Paktika

ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Foreign Ministry summoned Pakistan’s charge d’affaires in Kabul on Wednesday. They called him to record a formal protest over the airstrikes inside Paktika province of Afghanistan. The reported airstrikes targeted the hideouts of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

There was no official word yet from Pakistan regarding the airstrikes that according to the Afghan side targeted four locations in Bermal district of Paktika province. Some sources claimed that at the time of the air strikes, the TTP was holding a big gathering in Bermal.

The Pakistan side kept mum on the bombing allegations. However, sources claimed that three key targets of the airstrikes were Munib Jatt, head of the TTP media cell, Umar Media, his deputy Abu Hamza, and Akhtar Muhammad Khalil. Khalil is a commander of his own faction.

The strikes seemed to be in response to a recent surge in TTP-sponsored terrorist attacks in Pakistan. The latest attack in South Waziristan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, in which militants martyred 16 Pakistani soldiers, appeared to be the tipping point.

Previously, Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan in March this year, hitting the hideouts of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group. At that time Pakistan, for the first time, publicly owned and acknowledged those strikes.

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Pakistan Envoy in Kabul

The latest claims of Pakistan airstrikes in Paktika, came on the day when Pakistan’s special envoy Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq was in Kabul, holding talks with Taliban officials to break the ice. His visit was part of a renewed push to find a political solution to the security problems.

Despite the airstrikes, Sadiq’s engagements in Kabul went ahead as per schedule on Wednesday. Hours after the reported bombing, Sadiq held talks with Afghan Deputy Prime Minister for political Affairs Maulwi Abdul Kabir.

While he held talks with Afghan authorities to find a diplomatic solution to the TTP problem, the Afghan foreign ministry called Pakistani diplomat Hafiz Zia Ahmad and issued a strong demarche.

The deputy spokesperson for the Taliban government claimed that Pakistani strikes killed 46 people and injured six. The Afghan side insisted that those killed were from Waziristan. A spokesperson for the Afghan foreign ministry said that a letter of strong protest was delivered to the Pakistani diplomat.

Afghanistan, with its long history of defending itself against major powers, strongly rejected any violation of its territorial integrity and firmly committed to defending its sovereignty, according to a statement.

It added that Kabul had clearly informed the Pakistani side that protecting Afghanistan’s national sovereignty was a red line and that such actions were highly irresponsible and would inevitably have consequences.

Earlier, Mullah Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson for the interim Taliban administration, said that Pakistani jets bombed four locations in Paktika’s Barmal district in Tuesday night, killing 46 people, injuring six, and destroying houses, according to the state-run Bakhtar news agency.

Kabul stated that Pakistan carried out its second airstrike inside Afghanistan, following the first one in March, which the Taliban administration formally protested.

Strikes Targeting TTP Camps

Islamabad had yet to respond to the claims made by Kabul. However, media reports quoting unnamed Pakistani security officials said the fighter jets targeted camps of the banned militant group TTP.

The TTP has carried out deadly attacks on the Pakistani security forces, mainly in the border regions, in recent months. Islamabad has long accused Kabul of failing to crack down on the TTP, who have reportedly been operating from Afghanistan. Kabul denies the charge.

Following the airstrikes, the Afghan Ministry of National Defence said that the interim Taliban administration would not leave this act unanswered rather it considered the defence of its territory its inalienable right.

“Afghanistan considers this brutal act against all international principles and a blatant aggression and strongly condemns it. The Pakistani side should know that such arbitrary measures are not a solution to any problem” read the statement.

The ministry also substantiated the claims that Pakistani forces bombed Paktika province of Afghanistan, adding that the bombing targeted civilians from Waziristan.

This news is sourced from The Express Tribune and is intended for informational purposes only.