Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Friday strongly condemned what he described as renewed Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan cities, saying the Afghan people would respond to any aggression with unity and courage.
Karzai’s comments came after Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared ‘open war’ on the Taliban government in Afghanistan on Friday, hours after Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Kabul and two other Afghan provinces in what it called ‘retaliation’ for an earlier cross-border attack by Afghanistan.
Read also | Pakistan Afghanistan LIVE: Iran offers ‘facilitation of dialogue’
“Pakistani planes have again bombed Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia. Afghans will defend their beloved homeland with complete unity under all circumstances and will respond to aggression with courage. Pakistan cannot free itself from violence and bombing – those problems of its own making – but must change its own policy and choose the path of good neighbourliness, respect and civilized relations with Kar Afghanistan in a post in X.”
Karzai served as the seventh president of Afghanistan from 2002 to 2014. He also served as chairman of the Afghan Interim Administration from 2001 to 2002.
“Pakistani planes bombed Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia again,” accusing Islamabad of continuing a pattern of military aggression. He said Afghans will defend their “beloved homeland with total unity at all times”, Karzai asserted.
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said at least 133 Afghan Taliban operatives were killed and more than 200 were wounded.
“Defensive targets of the Afghan Taliban in Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar were targeted, with the possibility of further casualties,” he said, adding that at least 27 posts the Afghan Taliban regime were destroyed and nine other sites were captured.
“Pakistan cannot free itself from violence”
The former Afghan president also criticized Pakistan’s internal security policy, arguing that Islamabad could not free itself from the cycle of violence through cross-border strikes. “Pakistan cannot free itself from violence and bombings – problems of its own making – but must change its own policy and choose the path of good neighbourliness, respect and civilized relations with Afghanistan,” he added.
Read also | What is behind the “open” war between Pakistan and Afghanistan? Who has the stronger army?
Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense earlier said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in Thursday’s retaliatory operations along the Durand Line.
The 2,611 km (1,622 mi) border between the two countries, known as the Durand Line, has never been officially recognized by Afghanistan.
In a press release, the ministry said the operation was launched at 20:00 on the 9th of Ramadan, which corresponds to February 26, in response to what it described as a violation of Afghan territory by Pakistani military forces a few days ago.
“A few days ago, Pakistani military circles with great audacity violated the Afghan territory, breached our borders and tortured women and children there,” the statement said.
Along the Durand Line
The ministry said Afghan forces targeted Pakistani military positions in the eastern and southeastern direction along the Durand Line, near the provinces of Paktika, Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, Kunar and Nuristan.
“A total of 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed, two bases and 19 posts were captured in these retaliatory operations along the Durand Line,” the statement said.
It further said that the four-hour operation destroyed two Pakistani military bases and 19 posts, while soldiers from four other posts fled. The ministry also claimed that an enemy tank was destroyed and a large military transport vehicle captured.
“During these operations, Afghan forces seized dozens of light and heavy weapons, ammunition and military equipment,” it said.
Read also | Hamid Karzai, Abdullah discusses the situation in Kabul with the acting Taliban governor
The statement added that eight Afghan fighters were killed and 11 others were wounded during the operation. It also claims 13 civilians were injured in a rocket attack on a refugee camp in Nangarhar.
“In this retaliatory operation, 8 of our mujahideen achieved the high status of martyrdom and 11 others were injured,” the ministry said.
Operation “Ghazab Lil Haq”
In retaliation, Pakistan launched an operation it dubbed “Ghazab Lil Haq” targeting the Afghan Taliban regime, as reported by ARY News.
Read also | What is Op ‘Ghazab Lil Haq’? A Pakistani strike that killed more than 100 Taliban fighters
Prime Minister’s spokesman Shehbaz Sharif Mosharraf Zaidi confirmed that 133 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed and over 200 wounded. The operations also destroyed 27 Taliban positions and captured nine, according to Geo News.
Afghans will defend their beloved homeland with absolute unity under all circumstances and will respond to aggression with courage.
Pakistani security forces carried out retaliatory operations in several border areas, including Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur districts and destroyed several positions of the Afghan Taliban, ARY News reported.
