India condemns Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghanistan; Kabul signals possible retaliation

New Delhi denounces civilian casualties in Afghan territory; Pakistan says strikes targeted TTP, ISKP camps, Kabul considers response

• India condemns Pakistan's airstrikes on Afghan territory
• Ramadan strikes kill civilians, heightening regional tensions
• Taliban warns of retaliation over sovereignty breach by strikes

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India has strongly condemned Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory that reportedly resulted in civilian casualties, escalating regional tensions as Kabul weighs its response.

In a press release, the Ministry of External Affairs said, “India strongly condemns Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory that have resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children, during the holy month of Ramadan,” according to Official Spokesperson Shri Randhir Jaiswal.

Pakistan said it carried out “intelligence-based, selective targeting” of seven militant camps inside Afghanistan in the early hours of Sunday.

In a statement dated February 21, Islamabad said it had “conclusive evidence” that recent suicide attacks in Islamabad, Bajaur and Bannu were directed by “Afghanistan-based leadership and handlers.”

According to Pakistani authorities, the targets included camps linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which the state refers to as “Khwarij” or “Fitna al Khwarij,” as well as the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP).

The strikes followed a series of deadly incidents in Pakistan’s northwest. In Bajaur, a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a security post, killing 11 soldiers and a child. In Bannu, another attack left two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, dead.

Pakistan’s military media wing also said that in a separate intelligence-based operation in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two security personnel were killed when a vehicle-borne suicide bomber targeted a convoy. Five militants were killed in the exchange.

Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership has reportedly warned of retaliation following the cross-border strikes.

According to sources cited by CNN-News18, Kabul views the action as a violation of its sovereignty and is assessing its options. “We are assessing the Pakistan strikes,” one source close to the Taliban leadership told CNN-News18, adding that authorities were evaluating the extent of the damage.

Accusing Islamabad of breaching Afghan airspace, the source said, “The Taliban has the right to retaliate.”

Though no immediate military action has been announced, the warning was clear. “We will strike back at the perfect time,” the source said, as reported by CNN-News18. Senior leaders have convened urgent meetings in Kabul and Kandahar to deliberate on next steps.