Rights groups slams Pakistan for airstrikes on Afghans in Kandahar, Kabul

Kabul, Oct 17 (IANS) The Alliance of Human Rights Activists has criticised Pakistan for its airstrikes on Afghan people in Kandahar and Kabul, terming them as a grave violation of Afghanistan's sovereignty and international law.

In a statement, the group said Afghans were paying the price for "terror driven politics." Terming Pakistan's strikes as a "clear breach of Afghanistan's territorial integrity", the group said, "The blood of innocent people and the sanctity of national sovereignty must be respected," Afghanistan's leading news agency Khaama Press reported.

The alliance recalled Pakistan's long-standing ties with factions of the Taliban and noted changes in the alignments of the group and regional ties in recent years.

Calling for a durable regional response, the activists stressed that coordinated efforts are needed to dismantle armed groups that threaten security and address the underlying causes of militancy. The group warned the global community that terrorism would soon go beyond borders of Afghanistan, posing a threat to regional and global stability.

Pakistan carried out airstrikes on Kabul and the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar on Wednesday. At least 40 people, including women and children, were brought to the hospital following the attack, according to Emergency Hospital in Kabul. The exact death toll in not clear as authorities continue to assess the damage.

Taliban said that at least 12 people were killed and over 100 others were injured in a Pakistani military strike on Spin Boldak district in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan on Wednesday, local media reported, quoting the Taliban.

In a statement shared on X, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that Pakistani forces launched an attack on the border district early morning using light and heavy weapons.

Mujahid said that multiple Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory action by Afghan forces, Khaama Press reported.

"Unfortunately, this morning, Pakistani forces once again launched attacks with light and heavy weapons on Afghanistan in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar, as a result of which more than 12 civilians were martyred and more than 100 were injured. After that, Afghan forces were forced to take retaliatory action," Zabihullah Mujahid posted on X.

"In retaliatory operations, multiple Pakistani aggressor soldiers were killed, their posts and centres were captured, weapons and tanks fell into the hands of Afghan forces, and most of their military installations were destroyed. However, the mujahideen, with high spirits, are ready to defend their homeland, sanctuaries, and people," he added.

--IANS

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