US says it supports Pakistan's right to defend itself against terrorist attacks

The U.S. State Department said on Thursday that Washington "supports Pakistan's right to defend itself against terrorist attacks" as an intermittent conflict between Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan continues.



"The Pakistani people have suffered greatly at the hands of terrorists," the State Department added.



Former allies Afghanistan and Pakistan fought their worst battle in years in February.



The United Nations said on Monday that at least 28 civilians were killed and 49 injured in airstrikes carried out by Pakistan on the border with Afghanistan.



Afghanistan's Taliban said later in the week they launched airstrikes into Pakistani territory, while Islamabad said its forces had intercepted and shot down four rudimentary drones in the southern resource-rich province of Balochistan.