Afghanistan launches airstrikes on ISIS bases in Pakistan, Taliban claims

A school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Saran area was targeted in the aerial strikes, with the Afghan Taliban claiming that it was being used as a hideout by ISIS fighters.

In Short

• Taliban carry out drone strikes in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• Several ISIS members killed in the strikes in Pakistan, says Afghan Taliban
• The aerial strikes came days after Pakistan's deadly assault on Afghan border

The Taliban forces in Afghanistan launched drone strikes on Pakistani territory, claiming the targeted sites were hosting bases of Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), an affiliate of the Islamic State. The wave of attacks reportedly targeted locations in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of Pakistan.

Justifying the attack, the Taliban said the sites were being used to plan sabotage operations and attacks against civilians inside Afghanistan, according to a statement cited by Afghanistan-based TOLOnews on its X handle.

A school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Saran area was purportedly targeted in the strikes, with the Afghan Taliban claiming that it was being used as a hideout by ISIS fighters.

Several ISIS members were killed in the aerial assault, the Taliban government of Afghanistan said. It added that the strikes did not result in civilian casualties.

STRIKES AFTER DEADLY PAKISTANI ASSAULT

The drone strikes came roughly two days after Pakistan carried out a series of deadly airstrikes along its border with Afghanistan on Sunday. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), at least 28 civilians were killed and 49 were injured in the Pakistani strikes.

Pakistan's security forces, however, insisted that those killed in the strikes were militants, saying that 29 of them were killed in ground and air operations.

Meanwhile, Afghan government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said the strikes had killed 38 civilians and injured 163, including women and children.

Sunday's aerial assault was Pakistan's second on targets in Afghanistan that it said belonged to militants, and threatened to exacerbate an intermittent conflict between the former allies, who fought their worst battle in years in February.

INDIA'S CONDEMNATION OF PAKISTANI STRIKES

On Monday, India strongly condemned the Pakistani air strikes, saying the assault on Afghan territory constituted a "blatant act of aggression" and a "direct threat" to regional peace and stability.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, "India strongly condemns Pakistan's air-strikes on Afghan territory that have resulted in several civilian casualties, including women and children. This blatant act of aggression by Pakistan is an assault on Afghanistan's sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability."

"It reflects Pakistan's persistent pattern of reckless behaviour and its futile attempt to externalise internal failures through desperate acts of violence beyond its borders," the ministry added.

Islamabad accuses Kabul of harbouring militants it blames for plotting attacks in Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban denies the accusations, saying militancy is Pakistan's internal problem.

- Ends
(With inputs from Reuters)