Soaring Casualties and Mass Displacement: IEA Details Impact of Pakistani Airstrikes

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has provided a stark new tally of the human cost following recent Pakistani military strikes inside Afghan territory, reporting that over 8,400 families have been displaced and more than 230 civilians have been killed or wounded.

At a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday, the IEA’s Deputy Spokesman, Mullah Hamdullah Fitrat, detailed what he described as a campaign of “aggression” by Pakistani forces, which began with airspace violations on February 21.

Civilian Casualties and Destruction
According to Fitrat, the ongoing strikes have resulted in the martyrdom of at least 110 civilians. He emphasized the disproportionate impact on non-combatants, stating that 65 of the deceased were women and children. A further 123 individuals have been injured in the bombardments, which have targeted residential areas in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar and the southeastern province of Paktika.

The physical infrastructure of border communities has also been devastated. Fitrat provided a detailed breakdown of the damage:

• Homes: 37 houses were completely destroyed, with an additional 316 sustaining partial damage.

• Commercial and Religious Sites: 12 shops and 19 mosques were either fully or partially destroyed.

• Civilian Infrastructure: A health centre and a religious seminary were also damaged in the strikes.

The spokesman stated that these attacks have inflicted “extensive financial losses” on ordinary citizens, compounding the immediate trauma of violence.

The Displacement Crisis
The most significant figure released by the IEA spokesman pertains to displacement. Fitrat confirmed that 8,400 families have been forced to flee their homes as a direct result of the shelling and airstrikes. This mass displacement is placing a severe strain on host communities and humanitarian resources in the affected regions, raising fears of a growing humanitarian crisis along the border.

Condemnation and Call for International Action
The IEA issued a forceful condemnation of the Pakistani military’s actions, accusing it of deliberately targeting civilians.

“IEA strongly condemns these aggressions and the deliberate targeting of civilians, calling them crimes,” Fitrat said. He made a direct appeal to global bodies, urging them to intervene. “We urge international human rights organisations, the United Nations and other relevant agencies to denounce these attacks, stand with the oppressed Afghan people and stop the reckless and aggressive actions of Pakistani forces.”

Retaliation and the Right to Self-Defence
Fitrat stressed that the IEA considers the protection of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and its people a fundamental duty. He confirmed that Afghan defence and security forces have responded to the provocations.

“Afghan defence and security forces have the legitimate right to protect the country and its people and will continue to exercise this right against Pakistan until the aggression ceases,” he stated.

Officials confirmed that retaliatory attacks were launched on Pakistani military installations on February 26, claiming to have inflicted “heavy casualties” on the Pakistani side. The IEA maintains that these actions are a direct response to the violation of Afghan airspace and the bombardment of its territory, which are ongoing.

The cross-border escalation marks a significant deterioration in relations between the two neighbors and threatens to further destabilize a volatile border region already grappling with decades of conflict.

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