Kamal Ghorui
Afghanistan on Friday strongly responded to Pakistani strikes that hit the country’s two largest cities, the capital Kabul and Kandahar, killing six people, as claimed by Taliban officials. The escalation comes amid renewed tensions between the two Islamic neighbours, in what Islamabad had weeks ago described as an “open war”.The Taliban-ruled Afghan authorities reportedly targeted strategic military centres and installations of their nuclear-armed neighbour in response.
A handle on X identified as Afghanistan’s ministry of national defense claimed that Pakistan’s “night-time” violations along the Durand Line, the disputed border between the two countries, were met with a befitting response by Afghan forces.The handle wrote, “In response to the Pakistani military regime’s night-time violations of the Durand Line, Afghan air forces targeted strategic military centres and installations of Pakistani troops in the Kohat area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this morning.”It further claimed, “In the attacks, the Kohat military fortress was destroyed and nearby that same fort, within two kilometres, the command centre for the Durand Line conflict and the commander’s office of the military fort were also precisely targeted.”Earlier, Pakistan had launched strikes on Afghanistan, hitting Kabul and Kandahar. The strikes from Islamabad also hit homes in the Afghan capital and destroyed a fuel depot at Kandahar airport.
