Pakistan launches strike on Afghan military base amid rising tensions

Pakistani Forces Launch Strikes on Afghan Facility After Drone Attacks

Pakistan’s military has carried out strikes on an Afghan military facility in Kandahar following a series of drone attacks targeting civilian areas and military installations across Afghanistan. The strikes occurred on Saturday, following President Asif Ali Zardari’s condemnation of the overnight drone attacks.

According to Pakistani officials, the drones were intercepted before reaching their targets, but falling debris resulted in injuries to two children in Quetta and civilians in Kohat and Rawalpindi. Airspace around Islamabad was temporarily closed when the drones were detected.

The Kandahar facility has been used by the Taliban for cross-border rebel activity and as a base for launching drone attacks, according to Pakistani officials. The exchange marks a significant escalation in the conflict, which began building in late February when Pakistan launched military operations against suspected fighters on Afghan soil.

Pakistani forces have also accused Afghanistan of harbouring fighters from the ISIL (ISIS) group’s Khorasan province affiliate, a claim denied by the Taliban government. The drone attacks follow Pakistani strikes on Kabul and eastern border provinces in Afghanistan overnight on Thursday into Friday, which killed four people in the capital and two more in the east.

The United Nations has reported at least 75 civilians killed and 193 injured since hostilities intensified on February 26, with 24 children among the victims. About 115,000 people have been forced from their homes due to the conflict. Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi has urged both sides to pursue dialogue, warning that further force would only deepen the crisis.

Source: Al Jazeera