Islamabad and Kabul exchange protests after Karachi attack and airstrikes

Pakistan and Afghanistan have exchanged diplomatic protests following a deadly attack on a Rangers facility in Karachi that killed three Pakistani security personnel, and subsequent Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan. Pakistan summoned the Taliban's chargé d'affaires, alleging Afghan involvement in the Karachi attack, while Afghanistan condemned the airstrikes, claiming they killed 36 civilians and wounded 163 others. The incident marks a further deterioration in bilateral relations, already strained by Pakistan's accusations that Afghanistan-based militants, particularly the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), are responsible for cross-border attacks. Taliban authorities deny these allegations and insist they do not allow Afghan territory to be used against neighbors. The exchange of accusations has raised fears of further military escalation along the shared border.