India on September 22 condemned Pakistan's airstrikes in Afghanistan's Kunar and Paktika provinces, adding a new diplomatic response to the regional fallout from the attacks.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said such acts of aggression against a sovereign neighbour undermine regional peace and security. He reaffirmed India's support for Afghanistan's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the welfare of the Afghan people.
Jaiswal also offered condolences for the civilian deaths and wished the injured a speedy recovery. Responding separately to comments by Pakistan's army chief about counter-terrorism, he said Pakistan should demonstrate credible action against cross-border terrorism.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has confirmed at least three civilian deaths in Kunar — a man, a woman and a girl — and four injuries following what UNAMA described as apparent airstrikes in the early hours of September 21.
Pakistan separately says its operation against three targets in Afghanistan killed 28 people it described as militants and suicide bombers. That figure and characterization remain a Pakistani government claim and have not been independently reconciled with the UN-confirmed civilian toll in Kunar.
Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry has summoned Pakistan's chargé d'affaires in Kabul and delivered a formal protest note. In its official statement, the ministry described the Pakistani strikes in Kunar and Paktika as violations of Afghan airspace, national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Afghanistan's Deputy Minister for Publications at the Ministry of Information and Culture, Hayatullah Muhajir Farahi, also said on September 22 that Pakistani attacks on Afghanistan “will not go unanswered.” That statement remains an attributed warning and does not confirm that Afghanistan has launched a retaliatory military operation.
The Afghan Foreign Ministry has also rejected Pakistan's allegation that recent security incidents inside Pakistan originated from Afghan territory. That is the Afghan government's position. Pakistan has repeatedly accused armed groups based in Afghanistan of carrying out cross-border attacks, while Afghan authorities deny allowing Afghan territory to be used for attacks on Pakistan.
The verified casualty baseline remains unchanged: three civilians confirmed dead and four injured in Kunar by UNAMA, while Pakistan separately claims 28 militants and suicide bombers were killed across its broader operation. No new strike or independently confirmed casualty figure had emerged by the time of this update.