‘Old practice of Pakistan to blame neighbours’: India unequivocally condemns airstrikes killing civilians in Afghanistan

Indian authorities have "unequivocally" condemned Pakistani airstrikes that killed several Afghan civilians last month. The Ministry of External Affairs also deemed it an “old practice” of Islamabad to blame neighbours for its internal failures.

“We unequivocally condemn any attack on innocent civilians…It is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbours for its own internal failures,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

The MEA said that it had taken note of media reports on the airstrikes that left several civilians — including women and children — dead in Aghanistan. It had also noted the response of an Afghan spokesperson and continued to monitor the situation.

At least eight people were killed and 13 others injured in Afghanistan last month amid escalating border clashes. The intense exchange of fire followed an escalation in tensions after Pakistani fighter jets targeted alleged camps of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan in the eastern Paktika province of Afghanistan.

Local media reports indicate that Afghan Taliban forces had also fired at Pakistani border posts in the days following the strikes. Defence sources said Afghan troops had resorted to “unprovoked fire on multiple Pakistani border posts” in the Upper Kurram district on December 28 using both light and heavy weaponry.

The sources claimed that Pakistani forces had inflicting significant losses on the other side during a retaliatory attack — with seven to eight Afghan personnel killed in the exchange of fire. A Pakistan paramilitary soldier was killed and 11 others injured during the clashes.

Pakistan has repeatedly expressed concerns over the use of Afghan soil by militants for cross-border attacks, particularly in regions like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had addressed the issue, urging the Afghan government to take decisive action against the TTP, emphasising that attacks from Afghan soil were a "red line" for Pakistan. He also stated that while Pakistan is willing to engage in talks with Kabul, dialogue cannot occur alongside ongoing attacks.

(With inputs from agencies)