SOURCE: AFI
Amrullah Saleh, the former Vice President of Afghanistan, has publicly criticized the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) following an airstrike in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, which resulted in significant civilian casualties. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Saleh highlighted the lack of defensive capabilities in the area while questioning the effectiveness and precision of the PAF’s operation.
Saleh’s posts directly addressed the incident, stating, “There are no radar systems in Paktika. There are no air defense systems in Paktika. There are no anti-aircraft missiles in Paktika. Yet Pakistan Air Force (PAF) missed its targets and bombed civilians, mostly women and children. Wondering what will the PAF do if the mission is India and the targets are highly defended installations or sites? If Paktika is a criteria for assessment of power and precision of PAF, then the score is 0.2 from 10.”
The strikes in question occurred late Tuesday in the Barmal district of Paktika province, where according to Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, “Pakistan bombarded four points… The total number of dead is 46, most of whom were children and women.” He further noted that six more individuals, mostly children, were wounded in the attack.
The Afghan defense ministry, under Taliban control, issued a strong condemnation of the airstrikes, describing them as “barbaric” and an act of “clear aggression.” The statement emphasized that the Islamic Emirate, the name used by the Taliban for their government, would not let this “cowardly act” go unanswered, asserting their right to defend the territory and sovereignty of Afghanistan.