Afghanistan lodges strong protest against Pakistan over airstrikes that killed 36 civilians

The Talibanled Afghanistan government on Monday issued a strong and resolute protest to the Pakistani Charge dAffaires in Kabul over airstrikes in eastern provinces that reportedly killed 36 civilians including women and children and injured 163 othersAccording to a statement issued by the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X the Afghan side summoned the Pakistani diplomat and conveyed its protest over what it described as a violation of Afghanistans airspace and the bombing of civilian homes in Kunar Paktia and Paktika provincesThe Islamic Emirate of Afghanistans Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Charge dAffaires of the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul and presented him with its strong and resolute protest regarding the violation of Afghanistans airspace and the bombing of civilian homes in the provinces of Kunar Paktia and Paktika the statement readIt further alleged that Pakistans invading military regime carried out airstrikes on the residential homes of civilians in the affected regions resulting in significant civilian casualtiesThe Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan considers these attacks a clear violation of international principles humanitarian laws and the national sovereignty of countries and strongly condemns them it addedThe Afghan Foreign Ministry also accused Pakistan of blaming Afghanistan for its internal security challenges without presenting evidence while alleging repeated military aggression across the borderYou attribute security incidents explosions and attacks to Afghanistan without any credible documents or evidence the statement read adding that such actions cause serious damage to the atmosphere of trust between the two countries neighbourly relations and the security and stability of the regionThis comes after Pakistan conducted crossborder military strikes in the eastern provinces of Aghatain in Paktia Paktika and Kunar resulting in significant civilian casualties and widespread devastationThe Talibans deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat detailed the civilian toll in a post on social media earlier today stating According to the reports available thus far the attacks carried out last night resulted in the martyrdom of 36 civilians including women and children while 163 others sustained injuries Three residential houses were completely destroyedProviding a breakdown of the specific locations targeted by the Pakistani military regime Fitrat stated that in Mandokhail Village within the Chamkani District of Paktia Province Pakistani fighter jets bombed a civilian residence As a result one elderly man and one child from the household were martyred while other members of the family sustained injuriesThe deputy spokesperson further added that a subsequent strike targeted rescuers at the same locationAccording to the statement another fatal strike took place in Walust Village located in the Giyan District of Paktika Province where a villagers residence was hitMeanwhile a third strike was reported in Barolo Village within the Manogai District of Kunar ProvincePakistan confirmed the strikes with Pakistans Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Sunday night stating that Islamabads security forces had executed a wellplanned intelligencebased ground operation alongside aerial strikes in the frontier zoneThe regional friction had sharply intensified after a Saturday night assault on the provincial headquarters of the Pakistan Sindh Rangers in Karachis GulistaniJauhar localityThe Sindh police chief told Dawn that three Pakistani paramilitary personnel and three attackers were killed after militants rammed the main gate with a vehicle triggering heavy gunfire and explosionsAn affiliate of JamaatulAhrar a splinter faction of the TehreekeTaliban Pakistan TTP claimed responsibility for the Karachi garrison breach Al Jazeera reported