Pakistan says Afghan Taliban facilities targeted, rejects hospital strike claims

Pakistan’s military said on Wednesday that recent airstrikes inside Afghanistan targeted terrorist infrastructure, rejecting Afghan Taliban claims that a hospital was hit.

Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said Pakistan focused on ammunition depots, drone storage, and technical support facilities in Kabul, not civilian sites.

In an interview with a private TV channel, he questioned how a hospital could exist within a military installation.

He accused the Afghan Taliban of exploiting drug addicts for suicide attacks and terrorist operations, suggesting that the individuals at the site were being trained when secondary explosions caused a fire.

Precision strikes against terrorist infrastructure

Chaudhry said Pakistan has carried out 81 airstrikes in Afghanistan so far, all aimed at terrorist support networks. He emphasized that precision-guided munitions were used to avoid collateral damage.

He stressed that Pakistan harbors no hostility toward ordinary Afghans, who are themselves victims of the Taliban’s rule.

Highlighting the context of Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq, he said the airstrikes targeted terrorist hideouts along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. According to Chaudhry, the Afghan Taliban had previously attacked Pakistani posts at 53 locations, prompting the retaliatory strikes.

He said Pakistan’s objective is clear: “Everyone must know that we will take them to task,” referring to cross-border attacks.

Civilian distinction and Taliban proxy control

Chaudhry stressed the importance of distinguishing civilians from terrorists and Afghan Taliban operatives, noting that Taliban fighters often wear civilian clothing. He said this complicates identification, and while they may appear as civilians, they are engaged in militant activities.

He further claimed that Afghanistan cannot be considered a proper state, describing it as a territory controlled by a terrorist proxy in the form of the Afghan Taliban.

Pakistan’s military official added that the strikes aim to prevent Afghan territory from being used against Pakistan. He named Fitna al-Khawarij (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) and Fitna al-Hindustan (Balochistan Liberation Army) as terrorist groups hiding in government buildings in Afghanistan with the Taliban’s support.