The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Pakistan carried out what it described as precision air and drone strikes against 10 locations in Afghanistan after drones launched from Afghan territory entered Pakistani airspace, the country’s Information and Broadcasting Minister said Thursday, sharply escalating tensions between the two countries.
Attaullah Tarar said the air defense systems detected,
tracked and destroyed all the drones before they could reach their intended
targets. He said the strikes inside Afghanistan targeted locations used to
launch and store the drones.
Tarar described the strikes as “deliberate, precise,
calibrated and proportionate,” saying they were limited to what it identified
as military objectives directly linked to the attempted attacks on Pakistan.
According to him, the drone incursion on Sept. 23 was a
violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. It also accused the
Taliban administration of failing to take action against militant groups operating
from Afghan territory despite repeated warnings from Islamabad.
The statement said Pakistan would not accept attacks
launched from Afghan soil, whether by militant groups or by the Taliban
administration itself, and warned that any further violation of Pakistani
territory would draw an immediate response.
Pakistan called on the Taliban administration to halt what
it described as hostile activities and take “effective, concrete, verifiable
and sustained action” against militant groups operating from Afghanistan.
The Taliban administration has not immediately responded to
the latest Pakistani statement.
Pakistan said it did not seek an escalation and remained
committed to regional peace, dialogue and engagement, but added that such a
position should not be interpreted as acceptance of further attacks.
The latest exchange marks another escalation in already
strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul, which have deteriorated over
Pakistan’s accusations that militant groups use Afghan territory to carry out
attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban administration has repeatedly rejected
allegations that it allows Afghan soil to be used against neighboring
countries.
