Pakistan threatens operations against Afghanistan and Japan protests the killing of a woman at the hands of an American soldier

Pakistan's Army Commander and Chief of Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, said that his country will continue to take what he described as "targeted measures" against militant threats emanating from Afghanistan, stressing Islamabad's right to self-defense.

Munir made these statements while chairing the “277th Corps Commanders’ Conference,” which was held at the headquarters of the Pakistani Army General Command in the city of Rawalpindi. The army stated that the commanders affirmed Pakistan's right to self-defense, and again supported carrying out targeted operations against what they described as terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, according to the Afghan Khaama Press news agency on Sunday, according to the German News Agency.

The Pakistani military leadership also accused the Taliban authorities of facilitating the work of armed groups on behalf of India, and said that the Taliban leadership would be responsible for the consequences.

These allegations have not been independently proven, while the Taliban authorities have repeatedly rejected accusations that they harbor or support groups carrying out attacks in Pakistan.

These latest statements by the Pakistani army chief come in the wake of a series of air strikes inside Afghanistan. On October 1, Pakistan reported that it had carried out what it described as “well-planned and controlled raids” against militant hideouts in Kunar and Helmand provinces, killing 22 militants and destroying weapons and ammunition.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi submitted a protest to the United States today (Sunday) after a US Marine was arrested on suspicion of committing two crimes of robbery and murder against a Japanese woman in Okinawa.

Japanese police said that Devin Jacob Ballard (20 years old) is the suspect in the killing of Anna Yagi (39 years old) in a hotel in Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, yesterday (Saturday), and stealing her wallet and bag.

Police added that Ballard denied the accusations against him. “It is extremely unfortunate that such a brutal and evil incident occurred,” Takaichi said in a statement.

She continued: “The Japanese government strongly protests to the American side, and strongly demands maximum cooperation with the investigation, and also demands tightening discipline and implementing comprehensive rules and procedures to prevent this from happening again.”

The US Embassy and the Marine Corps expressed their condolences and affirmed cooperation with the Japanese authorities.

The Marine Corps announced in a statement that the suspect, who is serving at Futenma Marine Air Base, in the far south of Japan, is in the custody of Japanese authorities.

The statement added: “The Marine Corps takes such accusations seriously, and expects every member of the Marine Corps to adhere to the highest standards of proper conduct.”

Most of the US Marines serving in Japan (numbering about 18,000) are stationed on the island of Okinawa, which was under US control from the end of World War II until 1972.

Their presence has repeatedly aroused residents' dissatisfaction, due to problems such as noise, plane crashes, and the behavior of soldiers.

The rape of a 12-year-old Okinawa girl by three American soldiers in 1995 led to the outbreak of mass protests.

Okinawa is about 100 kilometers from Taiwan at the closest point, and therefore it constitutes an essential pillar in the eyes of Tokyo and Washington to deter any potential military aggression from China.