Islamabad: Pakistan’s armed forces have begun a large-scale military campaign titled “Ghazab lil Haq” in reaction to what officials described as unprovoked attacks by the Afghan Taliban along the border. The operation was launched after reported strikes targeted Pakistani security posts as well as civilian-populated areas in frontier districts.
According to security sources, at least 133 Taliban fighters were killed and more than 200 were injured during the clashes. Pakistani troops reportedly destroyed 27 Taliban check posts and took control of nine others. Military authorities said several important installations were struck, including corps headquarters, brigade and battalion command centers, arms depots, and other strategic facilities.
The Pakistan Air Force is said to have played a crucial role by carrying out precise aerial strikes on Taliban positions. In Afghanistan’s provinces of Nangarhar, Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia, air operations reportedly destroyed two brigade headquarters, a corps headquarters, and a logistics base. Officials also claimed that more than 80 tanks, artillery guns, and armored vehicles were eliminated.
Cross-border firing was reported in Pakistan’s districts of Bajaur, the Tirah region of Khyber, and the Chitral sector. Pakistani forces responded with retaliatory fire, targeting and damaging several Taliban positions. In Bajaur’s Laghari area and nearby localities, mortar shells allegedly struck residential zones, injuring five civilians, including three women, while a mosque sustained partial structural damage.
Operations continued in Kurram, Mohmand, and Afghanistan’s Paktika province, where eight additional Taliban fighters were reportedly killed and others wounded. Pakistani officials further claimed the destruction of key Taliban facilities, including a corps headquarters in Paktika. Authorities stated that several Taliban fighters abandoned their positions during the offensive, and Pakistani troops subsequently dismantled those sites.
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the operation as a firm and comprehensive response to aggression. He reiterated that 27 Taliban posts had been destroyed and nine captured, along with the demolition of two corps headquarters, three brigade headquarters, two arms depots, and three battalion headquarters. He also repeated claims that more than 80 armored vehicles and heavy weapons were neutralized. The minister emphasized that Pakistan’s security forces acted with professionalism and determination to defend the country’s sovereignty and warned that any future hostile action would be met with a strong and immediate response.
