Afghanistan: More than 800 civilians dead, injured in over 10 Pakistani airstrikes since Feb

Kabul: Pakistan has carried out more than 10 airstrikes across Afghanistan over the past five months, resulting in the deaths and injuries to more than 800 civilians, local media reported on Tuesday.

Citing its findings, Afghan media outlet Tolo News reported that the strikes targeted several Afghan provinces, including Khost, Paktia, Paktika, Kunar, Kabul, Nangarhar, and Kandahar, with civilians bearing the brunt of the casualties.

The attacks have also struck civilian infrastructure, including residential houses, hospitals, schools, and universities.

“Pakistan’s military, intelligence agencies, and political leaders are pursuing a strategy aimed at destabilising Afghanistan. The outcome of this strategy is the killing of Afghans, insecurity in the country, turning Afghanistan into Pakistan’s backyard, and imposing the Durand Line as the official border,” Tolo News quoted political analyst Akhtar Mohammad Rasikh as saying.

The report documented several major incidents involving Pakistani military attacks in Afghanistan this year, including the February 21 airstrikes on Paktika, Nangarhar, and Khost provinces, which left 18 people dead, including 11 children.

Additionally, on March 16, an attack on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul reportedly killed more than 400 people and injured over 260 others, according to Tolo News findings.

Another attack on April 27 targeted Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani University in Kunar province, injuring around 30 students and lecturers. On June 10, airstrikes on Khost, Kunar, and Paktika provinces reportedly killed 13 people.

Furthermore, as many as 36 civilians, including women and children, were killed, while 163 others were injured in Pakistani military airstrikes in Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar provinces on the night of June 28, Taliban Deputy Spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat confirmed on Monday.

“Pakistan’s repeated airstrikes, including Sunday’s attacks, are a clear violation of Afghanistan’s territorial integrity. They have resulted in the deaths of civilians, particularly women and children, and have no justification,” Tolo News quoted military analyst Sadiq Shinwari as saying.

Several analysts described Pakistan’s attacks on Afghanistan and the alleged targeting of civilians as “war crimes,” while calling on international human rights organisations to investigate.

Despite Islamabad repeatedly citing the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan as justification for cross-border attacks, reports indicate that terror group ISIS-affiliated centers continue to operate inside Pakistan.

-IANS