Residents walk through the rubble after what Taliban officials said were Pakistani airstrikes a day earlier that killed civilians, including children, in the village of Mandokhail, Chamkani district, Paktia province, Afghanistan, on June 29, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP
India on Monday (June 29, 2026) strongly condemned Pakistan’s air strikes on Afghan territory in which several civilians were killed, calling them a “blatant act of aggression” and a “direct threat” to regional peace and stability.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also said, “It reflects Pakistan’s persistent pattern of reckless behaviour and its futile attempt to externalise internal failures through desperate acts of violence beyond its borders.”
Pakistan on Monday (June 29, 2026) said its security forces killed 29 militants in a ground operation near the Afghan border and subsequent cross-border strikes, as Islamabad and Kabul summoned each other’s Charge d’affaires to lodge diplomatic protests over the latest escalation.
However, the Afghan foreign ministry in a series of posts on X alleged that Pakistani air strikes on residential areas killed 36 civilians, including women and children, and injured 163 others. It described the strikes as a violation of international law, humanitarian principles and Afghanistan’s sovereignty.
Pakistan has not immediately responded to the Afghan allegations.
In its statement, the MEA said, “India strongly condemns Pakistan’s air-strikes on Afghan territory that have resulted in several civilian casualties, including women and children. This blatant act of aggression by Pakistan is an assault on Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability.”
India conveys its condolences to Afghan families that have lost loved ones, prays for early recovery of those injured and reiterates its “unwavering support” for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the statement said.
Published – June 29, 2026 11:30 pm IST
