New Delhi, Feb. 27 -- Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on Friday strongly condemned what he described as renewed Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan cities, asserting that the Afghan people would respond to any aggression with unity and courage.

Karzai's comments came after Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared an 'open war' on the Taliban government in Afghanistan on Friday, hours after Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Kabul and two other Afghan provinces in what is called a 'retaliation' to Afghanistan's earlier cross-border attack.'

"The Pakistani aircraft once again bombed Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia. The Afghans will defend their beloved homeland with complete unity in all circumstances and will respond to aggress...