Pakistan Army Denies Conducting Airstrikes In Afghanistan
Pakistan’s military has rejected Taliban claims that it carried out airstrikes in Khost, Paktika and Kunar on Monday night, saying that Pakistan publicly announces any operation it conducts.
Army spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Tuesday that Pakistan “never targets innocent civilians” and insisted that Islamabad officially confirms its actions whenever it launches an attack. He suggested the Taliban’s allegations may be linked to what he described as internal tensions within the group.
Chaudhry also said the Afghan Taliban must “behave like a state rather than a non-state actor” and shoulder the responsibilities expected of a governing authority.
His remarks came after the Taliban accused Pakistan of violating Afghanistan’s airspace in a series of strikes overnight on 24 November. The Taliban said the attacks killed 10 people, including nine children and a woman, in Khost, and wounded four civilians in Kunar and Paktika.
Earlier on Tuesday, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes “would not go unanswered.”
