Afghan Taliban drones injure four people in Pakistan attacks
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FO rejects India’s ‘unwarranted’ statement on action against terrorist infrastructure in Afghanistan
The Foreign Office (FO) on Wednesday rejected the “baseless, misleading, and unwarranted statement” issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs on action against terrorist infrastructure in Afghanistan. The development comes after targeted overnight airstrikes were carried out in Kabul and Nangarhar amid Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. A day earlier, Pakistan maintained that it had targeted ‘Camp Phoenix’ — a former US military base currently being used by Afghan Taliban forces — even as Afghanistan claimed a drug rehabilitation centre had been bombed instead. Subsequently, India’s Ministry of External Affairs had condemned Pakistan’s actions, calling it a “direct threat” to regional peace and stability. In a statement issued on Wednesday, FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said, “Pakistan rejects the baseless, misleading, and unwarranted statement issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Pakistan’s ongoing action against terrorist infrastructure in Afghanistan.” “Against the backdrop of India’s active sponsorship of terrorism directed at Pakistan from Afghan soil, as well as its historical role as a spoiler, this statement merely reflects India’s blatant hypocrisy and duplicity,” he said. Andrabi recalled that the statement emanated “from a country whose leadership remains unaccountable despite instrumentalising Islamophobia for domestic electoral gain and perpetrating pogroms against its Muslim population”. “Only a few weeks ago, its leadership pledged full and unequivocal support to another occupying power responsible for the ongoing killing of thousands of innocent Palestinians,” the spokesman said. Andrabi further said that “it is preposterous for a state that has historically undermined the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbouring countries, in violation of international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter, to comment on the upholding of such principles”. “Such statements cannot divert attention from the fact that India has been, and continues to, suppress and deny the right to self- determination of Kashmiris in Jammu and Kashmir, in violation of relevant UN resolutions,” he said. He noted that India must refrain from supporting and sponsoring terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil, including those listed under the UN Security Council sanctions list. “In this regard, India should cease its misplaced lament over Pakistan’s successful counter-terrorism measures,” Andrabi said. Ammunition depot among targets hit Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Tuesday that an ammunition storage facility was among the targets hit in the Afghan capital. However, reports emanating from Kabul said that a drug treatment centre known as ‘Omid Camp’ was targeted, with Afghan officials claiming hundreds dead and injured as a result. The UN called for a swift and independent investigation, the EU urged both sides to exercise restraint, while China asked the two countries to “swiftly implement a ceasefire” and resolve their differences through dialogue in the wake of the incident. In a statement, Tarar said that Pakistan conducted six “precise, deliberate and professional” strikes in Kabul and Nangarhar on Monday night, as part of Islamabad’s Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, to dismantle terrorist infrastructure that was facilitating attacks on Pakistani soil. As with established practice, all six strikes were promptly put out with video footage by the information ministry, making the nature of the targets plain for all to see, he noted. “The visuals leave no room for doubt,” he said, adding the flames and secondary detonations witnessed in Kabul further confirm that the intended ammunition storage site was hit. “No hospital, no drug rehabilitation centre, and no civilian facility was targeted,” Tarar maintained.
DawnMarch 18, 2026 at 05:54 PM UTCInformation ministry rubbishes Afghan Taliban’s claims of hospital being hit in Kabul
Pakistan on Tuesday dismissed claims made by the Afghan Taliban that its armed forces allegedly struck a hospital in Kabul, stating that the target was “Camp Phoenix”, which is several kilometres away from the hospital. The development comes amid the ongoing Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, which was launched on the night of February 26, following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. Earlier on Monday, the government said that Pakistani forces targeted the Afghan Taliban’s military installations in Kabul and Nangarhar overnight. A fact check posted by the information ministry on X said that Omid Hospital, which the Afghan Taliban claimed had been hit, was “actually multiple kilometres away from Camp Phoenix, the military terrorist ammunition and equipment storage site precisely targeted last night”. Sharing satellite imagery, the ministry said that the “actual hospital is a multi-storied structure as compared to the military/terrorist infrastructure actually targeted, whose image is also attached; the difference and lie is clear to see”. Satellite imagery shared via MOIB. Dismissing the claims, it also questioned why an alleged drug rehabilitation facility would be “co-located with [a] lethal ammunition storage site in a military camp”. “This also remains unanswered,” it added. In a separate post, the ministry presented further information, asking why the “official handle” of the Afghan Taliban had deleted a post in which it was claimed that a “drug rehab” had been hit. “Was this [a generative] AI clip that could not stand the multiple fact checks being made? Afghan Taliban walking away from their manipulated post,” it said. In another post, the ministry debunked an image used by the Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid, which he had used as “evidence” of the incident. “The image being presented as evidence of a recent incident is, in fact, from May 2023 and was originally shared by the Afghan Taliban interior ministry at that time, exposing the falsehood of the current claim,” the information ministry said. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also rejected the claim, alleging that the Afghan Taliban regime was “peddling yet another falsehood” by making such claims. “This claim is entirely baseless,” he asserted, maintaining that Pakistan was only engaging “military and terrorist targets, along with the infrastructure of the Afghan Taliban regime, that are being directly or indirectly used to plan, facilitate, shelter, train, or abet terrorist attacks inside Pakistan”. The minister said that strikes carried out on Monday night in Kabul and Nangarhar were “precise, deliberate, and professional”. “No hospital, no drug rehabilitation centre, and no civilian facility was targeted,” he emphasised. “The targets were military and terrorist infrastructure, including ammunition and technical equipment storage sites and other installations linked to hostile activity against Pakistan,” he said. Tarar also added that video footage of “all six strikes” carried out was put out by the information ministry, “making the nature of the targets plain for all to see”. “The visuals leave no room for doubt. The flames and secondary detonations witnessed in Kabul further confirm that the intended ammunition storage site was hit with precision,” the information minister said. He said that the “latest allegation” was part of the Afghan Taliban’s “same worn-out pattern of deceit”. Tarar said that Pakistan and the wider world “continue to face the grave threat of terrorism emanating from territory under the control of the Afghan Taliban regime”. He stressed that the “threat” has become more “barbaric”. “Pakistan’s position is clear. We will continue to take every necessary measure to defend our citizens, degrade terrorist capability, and deny safe haven to those who wage terror against Pakistan from across the border,” the minister concluded. China calls for restraint Meanwhile, China expressed hope that Afghanistan and Pakistan will stay calm and exercise restraint, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, as per Reuters. China has urged the neighbours to ensure the safety of its personnel and will keep up a constructive role in promoting de-escalation, Lin added. A day earlier, China reiterated its offer to continue efforts to ease ongoing border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. “The most urgent task is to avoid the expansion of the war and return the two countries to the negotiating table as soon as possible,” Lin said on Monday. “China is willing to continue to make efforts to achieve reconciliation and ease relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he said, adding that Beijing has been mediating between both sides in recent days. Operation Ghazab lil-Haq continues Earlier, security sources said that the Pakistan armed forces targeted and destroyed Afghan Taliban military posts adjacent to the Khyber sector, using “anti-tank guided missiles”. Security sources added that the Afghan Taliban have “suffered casualties and financial loss due to the ongoing operation”. In a separate update, security sources said that the military has also destroyed the Afghan Taliban’s “Jhanda post” in North Waziristan. In a post on X earlier in the day, Tarar said the armed forces “successfully carried out precision airstrikes” as part of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, targeting “Afghan Taliban regime terrorism-sponsoring military installations in Kabul and Nangarhar”. “All targeting has been done with precision only at those infrastructures which are being used by Afghan Taliban regime to support its multiple terror proxies, including Fitna Al Khawarij and Fitna Al Hindustan, as can be clearly seen in accompanied footage,” Tarar stated, sharing a video of the said strikes. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Fitna al Hindustan is a term designated by the state for terrorist organisations in Balochistan. “False claims made by the propagandists Taliban regime cannot befool the Afghans and the world from their heinous actions supporting and sponsoring terrorism in the region,” he asserted.
DawnMarch 17, 2026 at 11:13 AM UTCFO rejects India’s ‘absurd and unwarranted’ statement on Pakistan’s cross-border actions in Afghanistan
The Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday rejected a statement made by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs criticising Pakistan’s cross-border action in Afghanistan, stating that the statement was “absurd, unwarranted” and “shamefully hypocritical”. The development comes as Pakistan continues with Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, which was launched in late February following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. A day earlier, the Indian MEA’s spokesperson Shri Randhir Jaisal claimed that Pakistan’s strikes in Afghanistan had led to “death of several civilians”, terming it an “act of aggression”. In response, the FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi rejected the claim, stating that the remarks against Pakistan’s “legitimate, targeted and precise actions against terrorist hideouts and support bases inside Afghanistan are not only absurd and unwarranted but also shamefully hypocritical”. The spokesperson maintained that India’s “active support and sponsorship” for terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil — Fitna-al-Khawarij and Fitna-al-Hindustan — remained “well-known”. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, while Fitna al Hindustan is a term designated by the state for terrorist organisations in Balochistan. Under the above circumstances, he held that India’s “frustration at the destruction of its terrorist franchise in Afghanistan, as reflected in such statements, is quite understandable”. “India, a serial violator of human rights and international law, continues to illegally occupy Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in violation of the United Nations Charter and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and has been responsible for perpetrating state terrorism in the occupied territory,” the statement read. Andrabi maintained that under its “Hindutva extremist ideology,” India continued to “systematically marginalise its minorities, spread Islamophobia, and has even weaponised water in contravention of its treaty obligations”. “India has not only played the role of a spoiler in Afghanistan, but also in the entire region,” the FO added. The statement stressed that India was in “no position” to make statements such as the recent one, given its “shameful credentials”. Andrabi urged the neighbouring country to “instead focus on refraining from stoking terrorism inside Pakistan from Afghan soil”. “For its part, Pakistan remains determined to take all appropriate actions in self-defence and to protect its citizens in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter,” the statement concluded. On March 10, during a heated debate on Afghanistan at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Pakistan lambasted India’s criticism of cross-border strikes, accusing Delhi of complicity in the terror threat at the western border. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad termed India’s remarks as “no surprise”, given India’s “animosity towards Pakistan and the sole objective of its Afghan policy being to destabilise Pakistan”. He accused India of “actively supporting and sponsoring terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil, such as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and Baloch Liberation Army”. In October last year, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had stated that India was waging a “low-intensity” war against Pakistan from Afghanistan, adding that New Delhi is trying to “settle the score” after facing defeat in the four-day conflict with Islamabad in May, 2025.
DawnMarch 15, 2026 at 04:38 AM UTCInfo ministry rubbishes Afghan claims of military post being captured
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday rubbished claims by the Afghan Taliban regarding the capture of a military post, saying it was “designed to mislead internal public opinion” in the neighboring country. In a post on the social media platform X, the ministry’s fact checking account posted a photo of a post by the Afghan Ministry of Defence, which claimed that a Pakistani military outpost was captured while 14 soldiers were martyred. In response, the ministry said, “This latest claim of the so-called Ministry of Defence of the Afghan Taliban Regime regarding capturing some post and made up damages etc., is false as always, fabricated and designed to mislead Afghan internal public opinion, which are unfortunately first-hand experiencing and suffering under these terror sponsors.” It said that damages and losses incurred by the “master proxy Afghan Taliban and their extension Fitna al Khawarij” were being regularly updated by the ministry. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “Related video and pictorial evidence, where applicable, is also shared with the media, rather than resorting to fake claims and propaganda. Great care is being exercised to provide credible and timely information about the ongoing targeted operations against terrorists and support infrastructure inside the Afghan Taliban regime occupation area,” it said. “Contrarily, beyond the amplification cycle of terrorists and Indian media/social media networks, there has been no credible and verifiable evidence of such repeated frivolous claims made by the Taliban outlets. These claims have, in fact, always fallen on their face once fact checked,” it said. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, meanwhile, said, “Another false claim by the Afghan Taliban Regime has been exposed.” In a post on X, he said, “These false claims have no basis or foundation. On the other hand, all the damages and losses being incurred by the Afghan Taliban and their extension Fitna al Khawarij are updated by the Ministry of Information with irrefutable pictorial and video evidence regularly.” IT Minister Shaza Fatima stated that “fake claims cannot shield terror networks”. “Taliban propaganda collapses when confronted with facts. Pakistan’s operations against Fitna al Khawarij remain focused, relentless and decisive. Terror sanctuaries will not survive,” she said. The prime minister’s spokesperson for foreign media, Mosharraf Zaidi, said the Afghan Taliban were “spending more time weaving fantasies than they are getting rid of the TTP, Balochistan Liberation Army and other terrorist organisations enjoying Afghan Taliban regime hospitality”. “Propaganda won’t cause Pakistan to end its counter terrorism operations. Only the end of terrorism from Afghan soil to Pakistan will,” he said. There has been a resurgence in terrorism in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned TTP. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded. Late last month, Pakistan had launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. A day earlier, the government also said it carried out overnight air strikes against terrorist positions and support locations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia.
DawnMarch 14, 2026 at 11:53 AM UTC‘Rudimentary’ drones launched by Afghan Taliban injure 4, failed to reach targets: ISPR
At least four people, including two children, were injured when the Afghan Taliban launched a “few rudimentary” drones, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Saturday. On Friday evening, security sources said that two rudimentary drones were intercepted at different locations adjacent to Rawalpindi but were successfully brought down through electronic countermeasures. The military’s media wing said today that the drones were intercepted through “soft and hard kills” and did not reach their intended targets. According to the ISPR, two children were injured in Quetta, a civilian was injured in Kohat and another in Rawalpindi. “These attacks were aimed at inducing fear in the public and remind us of the terrorist mindset which drives the Afghan Taliban.” The military’s media wing added that while the Afghan Taliban “project victimhood to garner global sympathy”, on the other hand, they “actively target civilians through their terrorist proxies and their drones”. “Pakistan’s people and its Armed Forces are absolutely clear about the true nature and intentions of the terrorist militia-for-hire that rules Afghanistan,” said the statement by the ISPR. The military said Operation Ghazab lil-Haq will continue till the Afghan Taliban address Pakistan’s core concern regarding terrorism originating from Afghan soil. “Pakistan’s Armed Forces stand steadfast in the fight against terrorism and its manifestations, like the drone attacks by Afghan Taliban.” The statement added that the armed forces will continue defending the people of Pakistan from terrorists and “shall not flinch in the face of such provocations by the Afghan Taliban”. A day earlier, the information ministry said, “two rudimentary drones of terrorist Fitna al-Khawarij, nurtured by the Afghan Taliban regime, were successfully intercepted by the Pakistan security forces using electronic countermeasures”. Fitna al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It added that “no military or other infrastructure was hit, other than minor damage due to debris of the forced crashing of drones”, dismissing claims made by Afghan officials, who claimed to have targeted a military installation. The Pakistan Airports Authority said in a post on X — which was later deleted — that flight operations at Islamabad International Airport experienced a “brief operational adjustment”. The statement came after multiple media outlets reported that Islamabad International Airport had been closed for flights. In a later statement, however, the authority said that reports circulating about the closure of Islamabad’s airspace were “baseless”. The drone attacks came after the armed forces carried out overnight air strikes against terrorist positions and support locations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia. In a post on X, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that Pakistan had successfully targeted 70 terrorist-affiliated installations in Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar, including logistic bases and camps that “directly or indirectly support terrorism from inside Afghanistan”. ‘Crossed a red line’: President Zardari condemns attacks President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the drone attacks carried out yesterday that he said were aimed at targeting civilian areas in Pakistan, according to a press release by the president’s media wing. “The illegitimate regime of Afghanistan, installed by terror and brute force, continues to renege on its commitments not to provide safe sanctuaries to terrorist groups and now has the audacity to provoke a major military power of the Islamic world,” the statement quoted President Zardari as saying. It added that the Afghan terrorist regime “crossed a red line by attempting to target our civilians” despite Pakistan’s efforts to promote peace and stability in the Gulf region and West Asia, and warned that it had brought “grave consequences” on itself. The president expressed his best wishes for the speedy recovery of those injured by the debris from the attacks in Quetta, Kohat and Rawalpindi. He reaffirmed that Pakistan’s armed forces and security institutions remained “fully committed to the defence of the country and the protection of its people”, the statement said.
DawnMarch 14, 2026 at 09:20 AM UTC‘Rudimentary’ drones launched by Afghan Taliban injure 4, fail to reach targets: ISPR
At least four people, including two children, were injured when the Afghan Taliban launched a “few rudimentary” drones, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Saturday. On Friday evening, security sources said that two rudimentary drones were intercepted at different locations adjacent to Rawalpindi but were successfully brought down through electronic countermeasures. The military’s media wing said today that the drones were intercepted through “soft and hard kills” and did not reach their intended targets. According to the ISPR, two children were injured in Quetta, a civilian was injured in Kohat and another in Rawalpindi. “These attacks were aimed at inducing fear in the public and remind us of the terrorist mindset which drives the Afghan Taliban.” The military’s media wing added that while the Afghan Taliban “project victimhood to garner global sympathy”, on the other hand, they “actively target civilians through their terrorist proxies and their drones”. “Pakistan’s people and its Armed Forces are absolutely clear about the true nature and intentions of the terrorist militia-for-hire that rules Afghanistan,” said the statement by the ISPR. The military said Operation Ghazab lil-Haq will continue till the Afghan Taliban address Pakistan’s core concern regarding terrorism originating from Afghan soil. “Pakistan’s Armed Forces stand steadfast in the fight against terrorism and its manifestations, like the drone attacks by Afghan Taliban.” The statement added that the armed forces will continue defending the people of Pakistan from terrorists and “shall not flinch in the face of such provocations by the Afghan Taliban”. A day earlier, the information ministry said, “two rudimentary drones of terrorist Fitna al-Khawarij, nurtured by the Afghan Taliban regime, were successfully intercepted by the Pakistan security forces using electronic countermeasures”. Fitna al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It added that “no military or other infrastructure was hit, other than minor damage due to debris of the forced crashing of drones”, dismissing claims made by Afghan officials, who claimed to have targeted a military installation. The Pakistan Airports Authority said in a post on X — which was later deleted — that flight operations at Islamabad International Airport experienced a “brief operational adjustment”. The statement came after multiple media outlets reported that Islamabad International Airport had been closed for flights. In a later statement, however, the authority said that reports circulating about the closure of Islamabad’s airspace were “baseless”. The drone attacks came after the armed forces carried out overnight air strikes against terrorist positions and support locations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia. In a post on X, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that Pakistan had successfully targeted 70 terrorist-affiliated installations in Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar, including logistic bases and camps that “directly or indirectly support terrorism from inside Afghanistan”.
DawnMarch 14, 2026 at 05:12 AM UTC