Pakistan struck sites in Afghanistan in response to recent drone intrusion: Minister

Islamabad: Pakistan has conducted precision aerial and drone strikes on ten locations across Afghanistan in response to recent attempted drone attacks from the neighbouring country a day earlier, Information Minister Atauallah Tarar said on Thursday.

Tarar said that the strikes were “deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate and strictly limited to identified military objectives directly linked to the attempted attacks against Pakistan”.

The development comes a day after Pakistan shot down eight drones after they entered the country's airspace from Afghanistan, security sources said.

"In exercise of its sovereign right to self-defence, Pakistan conducted precision aerial and drone strikes against 10 locations in Afghanistan used for launching and storing these drones,” Tarar said in a statement.

The minister warned that Pakistan will neither accept nor tolerate attacks launched from Afghan territory, whether by terrorist groups or by the Afghan Taliban regime itself and any violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty will be met with an immediate and decisive response.

“Threats, denials or attempts to deflect responsibility by Afghan Taliban will neither alter the facts nor constrain Pakistan’s inherent right to defend its territory, its people and its national security,” he said.

He also said that Pakistan condemns in the strongest possible terms the deliberate and unlawful incursion into Pakistan by drones on September 23, launched from Afghan territory, which “constitutes a blatant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and is a grave and unacceptable act of aggression.”

The minister said that Pakistan for years has repeatedly conveyed its grave concerns to the Afghan Taliban regime and its interlocutors regarding the continued presence of terrorist sanctuaries and their support networks on Afghan soil.

"Instead of dismantling these networks and taking credible and verifiable action against those using Afghan territory to perpetrate terrorism against Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban regime has chosen to escalate the situation through hostile drone operations against Pakistan,” he said.

He also said that Pakistan’s Air Defence systems detected, tracked and neutralised all intruding platforms before they could reach any of their intended targets, comprehensively thwarting the attempted attack.

Pakistan calls upon the Afghan Taliban regime to immediately cease all hostile activity against Pakistan and fulfil its international obligations by taking effective, concrete, verifiable and sustained action against terrorist entities operating from Afghan soil, the statement by the minister read.

“Afghan territory must not be used to launch attacks or conduct hostile operations against Pakistan,” according to the statement.

Tarar said Pakistan does not seek escalation and remains committed to regional peace, dialogue and constructive engagement but added that this commitment must not be mistaken for weakness or an unlimited tolerance of hostile actions.

“Pakistan will defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and the lives of its citizens with full resolve and will take all necessary measures to protect them. Any further provocative act by Afghan Taliban will be responded with firm and resolute response,” he said.

Relations between Afghan Taliban and Pakistan have deteriorated due to allegations by Pakistan that Kabul is not taking action against Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan terrorists who allegedly use the Afghan territory to train and attack Pakistan.

The airstrikes came after a major attack in the old Police Lines in KP’s Kohat claimed 23 lives and injured about 100 others. Eight terrorists were killed during an overnight clearance operation launched to clear the area.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PTI

[email protected]