We don’t fear bombings and hardships: Afghan minister’s stark warning to Pakistan

Kabul, July 1 (IANS) Afghanistan’s Minister of Information and Culture, Shar Ahmad Haqqani, said on Wednesday that Afghans do not get intimidated by external pressure or military attacks, stressing that Kabul has already secured victory against opponents which have superior weapons and technology, local media reported.

In his remarks at a seminar on intellectual, ideological and professional capacity building for journalists, Haqqani said Afghanistan has faced conflict for years and would not get deterred by threats, Afghanistan-based Ariana News reported.

He said, “To those who killed our children in their sleep through cruel bombings, it must be said that we do not fear bombings and hardships. We defeated those who were more equipped than you in modern technology and weapons.”

Haqqani stressed that people of Afghanistan remain steadfast despite ongoing challenges. “We are neither afraid nor defeated,” Ariana News quoted him as saying.

The Afghan minister’s remarks came amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over the past few months, with repeated exchanges of fire and growing concerns over civilian casualties.

Earlier in the day, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence claimed that its forces carried out airstrikes against alleged ISIS-linked targets in Pakistan.

In a statement, the Afghan ministry said the attacks were carried out on Tuesday night against what it described as ISIS facilities in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

“The air forces of the Afghan Ministry of Defence tonight conducted airstrikes on an ISIS joint centre and elements of evil and corruption in the Saranan area of the Pishin district, Balochistan province. This centre was used for carrying out sabotage activities and planning attacks in Afghanistan, and it served as a coordination hub for bombings in which Afghan civilians were targeted,” the Ministry stated.

“In the Qambar Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, successful airstrikes were carried out by the Afghan Air Force on a Daesh centre, and in the Garam Chashma area of the Shah Salim Valley in Chitral, on another joint Daesh centre and elements of evil and corruption. Destructive activities and attacks against civilians were also being planned from these centres,” it added.

Citing preliminary information, the ministry said that the strikes inflicted heavy casualties and significant financial losses on ISIS and its supporters. It added that the attacks were carried out with high precision against designated targets and caused no civilian casualties.

“Afghan air defence forces will target any location used to disrupt Afghanistan’s security,” Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence affirmed.

The strikes came just days after 36 civilians, including women and children, were killed, while 163 others were injured in Pakistani military airstrikes in Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan.

Taliban Deputy Spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat on Monday confirmed that Pakistani military airstrikes carried out on June 28 in the Afghan provinces resulted in the death of 36 civilians and injuries to 163 others as well as the complete destruction of three residential houses.

–IANS

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