Pakistan Justifies Airstrikes in Eastern Afghanistan as Self-Defense Amid Rising Tensions
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that the country’s airstrikes in eastern Afghan provinces are carried out under the “right of legitimate self-defense.” Islamabad warned that it would take further military action if attacks on Pakistani soil continue. On Thursday, July 2, Tahir Andarabi said at a press conference in Islamabad that operations dubbed “Ghadhab al-Haq” have intensified against militants following a recent attack on a military center in Karachi.
He emphasized that the security and well-being of Pakistani citizens remain the country’s top priority and reiterated Islamabad’s commitment to eradicating terrorism. According to Andarabi, during recent operations in Bajaur, at least four “terrorists,” including a commander of the Jaish al-Ahrar group, were killed. He described the group as a proxy force of India and stressed that after the Karachi incident, a Taliban diplomatic official was summoned and a stern statement was issued.
On June 29, Pakistan conducted airstrikes targeting areas in Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar provinces. Taliban spokesperson reported that at least 36 civilians were killed and 163 others injured due to these strikes carried out by fighter jets. The rising civilian casualties have once again raised concerns about the consequences of cross-border conflicts and highlighted the Taliban administration’s inability to contain security threats along the Durand Line.
In the Karachi attack on a military center, three Pakistani security personnel were killed, and four others wounded. The Pakistani army announced that three assailants were killed, and one wounded attacker, an Afghan national, was arrested. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson alleged the involvement of Afghan nationals in this attack and claimed that Afghan soil is continuously used to organize attacks against Pakistan.
In response, the Taliban’s Defense Ministry said that on the evening of Tuesday, July 1, airstrikes targeted areas in Saranan, located in Pishin district of Pakistan’s Balochistan province. The ministry claimed these attacks were directed against ISIS and anti-Taliban groups, an assertion that has yet to be independently verified.
Meanwhile, Andarabi confirmed that Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has ordered the immediate detention and deportation of Afghan refugees without proper documentation. It was previously announced that the process of arresting undocumented Afghan migrants would begin on July 10, a decision that has sparked widespread concerns among thousands of Afghan residents living in Pakistan.
