‘Direct threat to regional peace’: India strongly condemns Pakistan airstrikes on Afghan territory

Residents walk through the rubble after what Taliban officials say were Pakistani airstrikes that killed civilians, including children, in Mandokhail village in Chamkani district of Paktia province, Afghanistan, on June 29, 2026. Photo credit: AP

India on Monday (June 29, 2026) strongly condemned Pakistan’s airstrikes in Afghan territory that killed several civilians, calling it a “blatant act of aggression” and a “direct threat” to regional peace and stability.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also said in a statement: “It reflects a continuing pattern of reckless behavior by Pakistan and its futile attempt to externalize internal failure through desperate acts of violence beyond its borders.”

Pakistan said on Monday (June 29, 2026) that its security forces had killed 29 militants in a ground operation near the Afghan border and subsequent cross-border attacks, as Islamabad and Kabul summoned each other’s chargés d’affaires to lodge diplomatic protests over the latest escalation.

However, the Afghan Foreign Ministry claimed in a series of posts on X that Pakistani airstrikes on residential areas killed 36 civilians, including women and children, and injured 163 others. She called the strikes a violation of international law, humanitarian principles and Afghanistan’s sovereignty.

India strongly condemns Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory

🔗 https://t.co/1mONzLsCU4pic.twitter.com/IDqzhgwPP2

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEEAIndia) June 29, 2026

Pakistan did not immediately respond to the Afghan allegations.

The MEA said in a statement: “India strongly condemns Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory, which have claimed several civilian lives, including women and children. This brazen act of aggression by Pakistan is an attack on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a direct threat to peace and stability in the region.”

India offers its condolences to the Afghan families who have lost their loved ones, prays for the speedy recovery of the injured and reiterates its “unwavering support” for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the statement said.

Published – 29 Jun 2026 11:30 PM IST