Afghanistan has launched a fierce retaliation against Pakistan following deadly airstrikes by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) that killed women and children while striking Hajj fuel depots. Kabul's Ministry of Defence claims its forces killed 14 Pakistani soldiers and injured 11 others in operations along the disputed Durand Line.

The Afghan operations targeted military positions in the eastern provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar. According to the Islamic Emirate's statement, these actions destroyed an armoured tank and an international vehicle, rendering them out of service.

This response forms part of the Afghan 'RejectOppression' campaign. At around 5:00 PM on 14 March, Afghan Air Forces struck Pakistan's strategic military centre 'Hamza' in Faizabad, near Islamabad.

The escalation stems from prior PAF airstrikes on Afghan soil. Officials from Kam Air confirmed to Tolo News that the airline's fuel reserves at Kandahar Airport were hit on Friday, disrupting preparations for this year's Hajj flights.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistan of targeting civilian infrastructure. In a post on X, he noted that the fuel facility supported domestic airlines and UN-operated aircraft, following earlier strikes on a trader's storage named Haji Khan Zadah.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported grave civilian tolls. It documented at least four deaths and 14 injuries, including women and children, from airstrikes in Kabul's Pul-e-Charkhi area last night.

UNAMA urged an immediate halt to hostilities. Since 26 February, the mission has recorded 75 civilians killed and 193 injured in Afghanistan due to ongoing cross-border clashes, with civilians—mostly women and children—bearing the brunt.

Tolo News reported additional Pakistani artillery fire on Khost province's Alisher-Terezai district near the Durand Line. This killed four family members and injured three others.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have soured since the Taliban's 2021 return to power. Pakistan repeatedly accuses Kabul of harbouring militants on Afghan soil.

On 26 February, Pakistan initiated "Operation Ghazab lil-Haq" (Righteous Fury), declaring open war on the Afghan Taliban. Islamabad claimed the strikes hit militant bases amid rising suicide bombings in Pakistan, allegedly launched from Afghanistan.

Pakistan has offered no credible evidence for its actions. Reuters reported that initial airstrikes killed dozens of women and children.

In riposte, Afghanistan dubbed its campaign "Radd-e-Zulm" and vowed to persist until Pakistan ceases attacks, per Tolo News.

This cycle of airstrikes and artillery exchanges risks broader regional instability along the 2,640-km Durand Line, a colonial-era border rejected by Kabul.

ANI