Pakistan confirms airstrikes targeting militants' hideouts in Afghanistan, Kabul terms it 'brutal act'

Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday confirmed that it carried out strikes targeting militants' hideouts in Afghanistan, amid strong protest from the Afghan leadership, which condemned it as a "brutal act" and said such arbitrary actions are not a solution to any problem.

According to the Afghan officials, at least 46 people, including women and children, were killed and several others injured in airstrikes by Pakistani fighter jets on parts of the Barmal district in Paktika province on Tuesday night that also damaged several homes.

"The intelligence-based operation was conducted by Pakistani security forces in the border areas of Afghanistan," Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in response to a query about the Tuesday night strikes at the weekly press briefing here.

She added that the operation was carried out "based on threats to the security of Pakistani citizens".

The spokesperson, however, emphasised that Pakistan had "always prioritised dialogue in matters relating to ties with Afghanistan". "We respect Afghanistan's integrity and sovereignty." She also said that Pakistan's security forces and law enforcement agencies routinely conduct operations "against terrorist groups in the border areas".

"Preparations for these operations are made in an extremely careful manner,” she said, adding that protecting its citizens was Pakistan's top priority.

The spokesperson reiterated that there were threats posed by terrorist elements to Pakistan and its citizens. "Pakistan is committed to the security of its public,” she said.

Earlier, sources said that Pakistan targeted four locations of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province, killing several terrorists.

The Afghan Taliban regime lodged a strong protest with Islamabad over the airstrikes, warning to give a response to the attack.

The Afghan Taliban regime's Ministry of Defence spokesperson Enayatullah Khwarazmi said the Islamic Emirate considers this brutal act a violation of all international principles and an outright aggression.

"Pakistan must realize such arbitrary actions do not solve any problems," he was quoted as saying by TOLOnews.

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai and some other leaders also condemned Pakistan's airstrikes, with Karzai describing it as blatant aggression and a violation of Afghanistan's sovereignty.

The former president attributed tensions in the relations between the two countries to Pakistan's flawed policies of promoting extremism in the region and emphasized that Pakistan must reassess its policies toward Afghanistan, according to a statement released by his office.

Abdullah Abdullah, the former Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, also stated that Pakistan's airstrikes on Paktika province are a clear violation of Afghanistan's national sovereignty.

Pakistan has been facing a spike in terrorist attacks since the Afghan Taliban came to power in 2021, while it demanded the Kabul regime to control the terrorists using its soil against Pakistan.