Afghanistan says Pakistan has bombed fuel depots of private airline
What's the story
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has claimed that the Pakistan Air Force has bombed the fuel depots of Kam Air, a private airline, near the Kandahar Airport in Afghanistan. "The company (Kam Air) supplies fuel to civilian airlines as well as to United Nations aircraft," Mujahid said. He also accused Pakistan of attacking the fuel storage of a national trader, Haji Khan Zadah.
Accusations
Mujahid accused Pakistan of attacking national trader's fuel storage
Pakistan also bombed other regions, including the capital Kabul, killing women and children as civilian residences were targeted in some cases, he said, adding that the assault would "not go unanswered." Before the latest attack, neither side had reported any Pakistani air strikes on Afghanistan in recent days, and ground fighting along the 2,600-kilometer (1,600-mile) border had also subsided.
Escalating conflict
Pakistan declared 'open war' against Afghanistan in February
The fighting began last month with Pakistani air attacks inside Afghanistan, which Islamabad claimed targeted militant strongholds. Afghanistan considered the strikes a violation of sovereignty and launched retaliation attacks. On February 27, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared an "open war" against Afghanistan. He accused the Taliban of harboring global terrorists and exporting militancy. The Afghan Ministry of National Defense claimed that retaliatory operations along the Durand Line killed 55 Pakistani soldiers on February 26.