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Kabul, June 29. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed on Monday that the Pakistani army has once again carried out airstrikes in residential areas of Paktika, Paktia and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan, killing dozens of civilians, including women and children, and injuring many others. Terming the action as a “cowardly attack”, Mujahid said the attack was carried out on Sunday night in Paktika’s Gayan district, Paktia’s Tsamkani district and Kunar’s Manogai district.

Mujahid said on the social media platform

Tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been continuously increasing for the last few months. There have been several incidents of firing between the two countries and concern has increased over civilian casualties. Meanwhile, former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad also strongly criticized the attack. He said that Pakistan once again ignored the appeals of the international community and its own citizens to resolve the dispute through dialogue and chose the path of military action, in which many innocent civilians were killed and injured.

He wrote on Twitter, “Ignoring calls by many people around the world and in Pakistan to resolve differences with the neighboring country through dialogue, Pakistan has once again attacked Afghanistan, killing and injuring many people. I have always condemned the killing of innocent Afghans and still do so. I also mention that Islamabad has not responded to several resolutions to which the Taliban government had agreed.”

He questioned whether Islamabad was really interested in any solution. Asked, “Now that there is a complete lack of any constructive effort or response from Pakistan, it is important to ask whether Islamabad actually wants a solution?” Khalilzad further said, “Is this conflict really for the reasons that Pakistan claims, or does the Pakistani establishment have some other objectives? Does it want to destabilize Afghanistan? Is China encouraging Pakistan to create conditions that can increase Chinese influence in Afghanistan? Or are both the things true?”

According to him, if such motives are really behind Pakistan’s strategy, it would also be against America’s interests. This will increase instability in Afghanistan, which may provide safe havens to anti-US terrorist organizations like ISIS-K and may also increase China’s influence. He said, “If these are the real objectives of Pakistan, then it is not surprising that the Pakistani establishment does not accept them publicly.”

Earlier this month, Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry had summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires in Kabul and lodged a strong protest against the violation of Afghan airspace and air strikes on residential areas. 13 civilians were killed in these attacks. The move came after Taliban spokesman Mujahid confirmed that 11 children, a woman and an elderly man were killed, while 14 women and children were injured in attacks in Kunar, Khost and Paktika provinces on the night of June 9.