India has hit out at Pakistan for carrying out airstrikes targetting civilians in Afghanistan's Paktika province near the Durand Line on the night of 24 and 25 December.
"We have noted the media reports on airstrikes on Afghan civilians, including women and children, in which several precious lives have been lost," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to media queries on Pakistan's cross-border fighter jet strikes, which have reportedly left at least 47 people dead.
"We unequivocally condemn any attack on innocent civilians. It is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbours for its own internal failures," Jaiswal stated.
The interim Afghan authorities summoned the Charge d'Affaires (CdA) of the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul in the wake of the military operation to deliver a "strong protest note", according to a statement.
"The attack by the Pakistani military was categorically condemned, and the Embassy of Pakistan was informed that while representatives of Pakistan's civilian government were engaged in dialogues with the Afghan officials in Kabul, the violation of Afghanistan's airspace and martyring civilians by Pakistani military are perceived as deliberate attempt by certain circles in Pakistan aimed at undermining trust and causing frictions in the relations of the two nations," Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) spokesperson Hafiz Zia Ahmad said in a statement.
Ahmad said that the 'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA)' remained "committed to defending Afghanistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Afghanistan's Ministry of Defence disputed the claim that a Pakistani jet targeted terrorist hideouts of banned group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)*, stating that the strike also hit "Waziristani refugees", including women and children. Further, the Defence Ministry warned of retaliation against Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has said that the cross-border strikes were based on "authentic and concrete intelligence", Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told a briefing.
"Pakistan is committed to the security of its people. Our security and law-enforcement personnel conduct operations in the border areas to protect the people of Pakistan from terror groups, including TTP," Baloch stated, adding that Pakistan respected Afghanistan's sovereignty.
The cross-border military operation also sparked deadly clashes between Afghan and Pakistani security forces in Khost and Paktika provinces, Tolo News reported.
*banned terrorist group