NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs on Monday strongly condemned Pakistan’s air strikes and military operations on Afghan territory, describing them as a “blatant act of aggression”.In a statement, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said the strikes constituted an assault on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and reflected Islamabad’s “persistent pattern of reckless behaviour”.“India strongly condemns Pakistan’s air-strikes on Afghan territory that have resulted in several civilian casualties, including women and children,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.“This blatant act of aggression by Pakistan is an assault on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and direct threat to regional peace and stability,” he added.Jaiswal said that the act of regression “reflects Pakistan’s persistent pattern of reckless behaviour and its futile attempt to externalize internal failures through desperate acts of violence beyond its borders.”Expressing solidarity with Afghanistan, he added, “India conveys its condolences to Afghan families that have lost loved ones, prays for early recovery of those injured and reiterates its unwavering support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”The remarks came after Afghan officials said Pakistani military operations and strikes carried out overnight killed at least 36 civilians and injured more than 160 others amid escalating tensions between the two countries.Pakistan, however, said the operations were launched in response to militant attacks inside its territory. Information minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistani security forces conducted ground operations along the border followed by strikes on militant hideouts and safe havens, killing 29 fighters.Afghanistan condemned the strikes in Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces as a “cowardly act of aggression” and an “act of brutality”, with officials warning that Kabul would respond “in due time”.According to Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Taliban government, Pakistani forces struck a house in Paktia province’s Chamkani district, killing an elderly man and a child. He said that when villagers gathered to rescue survivors, the area was struck again, killing 28 people and injuring 158 others. In Paktika province, six civilians, mostly women and children, were killed when another residential house was hit, while a strike in Kunar province reportedly killed around 30 livestock.The latest escalation prompted both Afghanistan and Pakistan to summon each other’s senior diplomats on Monday to lodge formal protests. The fresh violence marks another sharp escalation in relations between the neighbours, following months of cross-border clashes that have killed hundreds of people since February.
