Kabul, Delhi spurn Pakistan’s claim of Indian strike

KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghanistan and India have firmly rejected Pakistan’s allegations that Indian missile strikes targeted Afghan territory amid escalating cross-border tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad.

These remarks were made by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence and India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday, in response to Pakistan’s claims.

On Friday, Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in Pakistan, alleged that Indian forces carried out missile and drone strikes not only on Pakistani military installations—Noor Khan, Shorkot, and Murid—but also targeted areas within Afghanistan.

He described the alleged strikes as a deliberate attempt by India to escalate regional tensions and provoke a wider conflict.

In response, Inayatullah Khwarazmi, spokesman for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defence, categorically denied the accusations in an interview with Radio Azadi, calling them “baseless and without any factual foundation.”

India’s Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri, also firmly dismissed the claims on Saturday.

“No Indian missiles have targeted Afghanistan. These claims are completely baseless,” he stated, emphasizing India’s longstanding and friendly relations with the Afghan people. In a pointed remark directed at Islamabad, Misri added, “The Afghan people don’t need to be reminded which country has historically targeted civilians in Afghanistan.”

The allegations surface amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan following a deadly attack on tourists in Pahalgam, located in Indian-administered Kashmir, on April 22.

At least 26 tourists were killed and 17 others injured. India has blamed Pakistan for orchestrating the attack, a charge Islamabad has denied, labeling the accusations as baseless.

In what India described as retaliation, a series of missile strikes were launched last week on several Pakistani cities. Pakistani authorities reported that at least 26 civilians were killed and 46 others wounded in the Indian strikes.

In response, Pakistan’s military claimed on Saturday to have targeted multiple Indian military installations, including air bases in Pathankot and Udhampur.

kk/sa