Kabul:At least four people were killed in recent airstrikes conducted by Pakistan in three Afghan provinces, as confirmed by officials in Kabul. The provinces affected by these strikes were Kandahar, Paktia, and Khost, according to Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.

According to Anadolu Agency, Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that the air and drone strikes targeted 10 locations in Afghanistan following the detection and neutralization of drones launched from Afghan territory. He described these drone incursions into Pakistan as a "blatant violation" of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Pakistani security sources reported that eight drones were neutralized near the Torkham border and in the Kohat area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Tarar emphasized that Pakistan's air defense systems successfully detected, tracked, and neutralized all drones before they reached their intended targets.

Tarar justified the strikes as a sovereign right to self-defense, stating that they were deliberate, precise, and proportionate, targeting only identified military sites linked to the attempted attacks. He urged the Afghan Taliban to cease hostile activities against Pakistan and take effective actions against terrorist entities operating from Afghan territory.

This marks the second instance of Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan this week, following an earlier attack in Kunar province where three individuals were killed. Islamabad previously reported striking militant hideouts along the Afghan border after two terrorist attacks in Pakistan resulted in the deaths of 30 people, including police officers, civilians, and soldiers.

Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the airstrikes as acts of aggression, stating that four Afghan civilians were killed as a result. He criticized Pakistan's military actions as indiscriminate and cowardly, asserting that the claims of drone incursions were attempts to justify aggression. Mujahid warned that these actions would be met with an appropriate response from Afghanistan.