The Indian government on Sunday described the airstrikes conducted by Pakistan on Afghan territory as another attempt by Islamabad to “externalise its internal failures”.
Noting that the strikes had resulted in civilian casualties during the Islamic holy month of Ramzan, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a press release reiterated New Delhi’s support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.
Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan claimed to have killed 70 terrorists in strikes targeting at least seven militant hideouts in Afghanistan in retaliation for recent rebel attacks in the country, PTI reported.
The attacks in the country included one on a Shia mosque in Islamabad earlier in February, as well as others that occurred after Ramzan began this week in the north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the BBC reported.
Pakistan State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry was quoted as saying by PTI on Sunday that Afghanistan had long been exporting terrorism. The minister told a Pakistani news channel that his country was “taking all actions to secure the life and property of its citizens”.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence condemned Sunday’s strikes, saying that Islamabad targeted several residential homes and a religious school in the border provinces of Nangarhar and Paktika, Al Jazeera reported.
The strikes resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries, including women and children, it added.
In October, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a ceasefire following clashes along the border between them. However, subsequent fighting has taken place in the region, the BBC reported.
Pakistan and Afghanistan share a 2,574 km mountainous border.
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