Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has condemned Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Helmand provinces, describing the attacks as a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a statement on Thursday, Karzai called on Pakistan to abandon what he described as confrontational policies and instead engage with Afghanistan on the basis of good-neighborly relations and peaceful cooperation. He also urged Islamabad to avoid actions that could deepen division and extremism in the region.
The comments followed overnight Pakistani airstrikes in Kunar and Helmand. Afghan Taliban authorities said the attacks struck residential areas, killing nine people, including women and children, and injuring 11 others. They said three houses were destroyed.
Pakistan gave a different account of the operation, saying its forces targeted militant hideouts and camps in two locations. Pakistan’s Information Ministry said initial reports indicated that 22 militants had been killed and weapons and ammunition destroyed, while insisting that precautions were taken to prevent civilian casualties.
The strikes are the latest escalation in already strained relations between Kabul and Islamabad following a period of relative calm. Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban authorities of allowing the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate from Afghanistan territory and carry out attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul rejects the accusation and says militancy inside Pakistan is an internal matter.
The United Nations has reported more than 1,100 civilian casualties in Afghanistan from cross-border violence this year, underscoring the growing humanitarian cost of the conflict. UN officials have repeatedly called on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians.
