Pakistan denies conducting cross-border strikes in Afghanistan

The Pakistani military's spokesperson said on Tuesday that the country did not carry out any operation inside Afghanistan last night, urging the Afghan authorities to take verifiable action against terrorist groups operating from their territory.

During an informal interaction with journalists, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the spokesperson for the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing, said that "Pakistan always makes a formal announcement whenever it undertakes any operation."

The recent claims from the Afghan side that Pakistan carried out strikes into the Afghan territory are incorrect, he added.

Sharif said the Afghan government must take credible steps against terrorist hideouts, stressing that no dialogue would take place until verifiable action is taken against militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan.

The Afghan government on Tuesday condemned the reported air strikes by Pakistan on Monday night that killed 10 Afghans in the eastern region as an attack on Afghanistan's sovereignty and warned of taking action at a proper time.

Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that defending its airspace, territory, and citizens is Afghanistan's legitimate right. A necessary response will be taken at the proper time.

Previously, scores were killed and injured from both sides during conflicts along the border between the two nations in October.