The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on Wednesday expressed concern over the escalating tensions between Pakistan and India and said further escalation was “not in the interests of the region”.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Minister, the IEA stated it “reaffirms its belief that security and stability serve the collective interests of all countries in the region”.

The IEA also urged both sides to exercise restraint and resolve their issues through dialogue and diplomacy.

The IEA’s statement comes only hours after a target operation against Pakistan was carried out overnight by India in retaliation for the Kashmir terror attack last month that India has blamed on Pakistan.

Pakistan’s PM vows to avenge India’s ‘act of war’

However, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Wednesday’s airstrikes and said his country would retaliate.

“Pakistan has every right to give a robust response to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is indeed being given,” Sharif said.

The country’s National Security Committee met Wednesday morning, and Pakistan summoned India’s charge d’affaires to lodge a protest.

Hope of the easing of tensions was however seen during the day Wednesday when Pakistani media reported that airports in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi were operating again after all traffic was halted overnight.

In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a special meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security. A source told the Reuters news agency Modi postponed a trip to Croatia, the Netherlands and Norway.

Concern mounts

South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman said it was one of the highest-intensity strikes from India on its rival in years and that Pakistan’s response would “surely pack a punch as well.”

“These are two strong militaries that, even with nuclear weapons as a deterrent, are not afraid to deploy sizeable levels of conventional military force against each other,” Kugelman said.

“The escalation risks are real. And they could well increase, and quickly.”

Stephane Dujarric, the United Nations spokesperson, said in a statement late Tuesday that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for maximum restraint because the world could not “afford a military confrontation” between India and Pakistan.

Several Indian states planned civil defense drills later Wednesday, according to India’s home ministry, to train civilians and security personnel to respond in case of any “hostile attacks,” the ministry said in a statement.

Such drills in India are rare in non-crisis times.