Operation Ghazab lil-Haq: 274 TTA operative killed, More than 400 injured, 74 post captured
12 Pakistani brave soldiers have sacrificed their lives for the defence of the motherland and 27 injured: ISPR
At least 274 Afghan Taliban operatives have been killed and more than 400 injured after Pakistan’s Security Forces delivered an ‘immediate and effective response’ to unprovoked cross-border firing, 12 Pakistani brave soldiers have sacrificed their lives for the defence of the motherland and 27 injured and 1 mising, according to ISPR.
Pakistan’s security forces launched a large-scale retaliatory operation titled Operation Ghazab-ul-Haq following what officials described as unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. According to official statements, at least 228 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed and more than 314 injured in the ensuing clashes.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that Afghan Taliban forces initiated unprovoked aggression across multiple sectors of the border, prompting an immediate and forceful response from Pakistani security forces.
Heavy Military Losses Reported
Security sources claimed that Pakistani forces destroyed three Afghan battalions, sector headquarters, ammunition depots, and logistics bases during the counter-offensive. More than 80 tanks, artillery guns, and armored personnel carriers were reportedly destroyed.
In the line of duty, two Pakistani soldiers were martyred and three others sustained injuries.
Pakistani forces reportedly utilized artillery and quadcopters to target enemy positions with precision. Airstrikes by the Pakistan Air Force continued in various Afghan provinces, including Kandahar and Nangarhar, where major ammunition depots were allegedly destroyed.
Officials further stated that 27 Afghan posts were completely destroyed, while nine others were captured. Pakistani forces also claimed to have taken control of five Afghan border posts opposite South Waziristan and raised the national flag there.
Escalation across Border Sectors
Clashes were reported in multiple sectors including Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram, Bajaur, and Torkham. Security officials stated that Afghan Taliban forces abandoned several posts and retreated following Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes.
In Nangarhar and Khost, additional key Taliban positions were reportedly targeted. Pakistani artillery fire was said to have destroyed a sector headquarters near the border.
Civilian Casualties Reported
Following what officials termed a “humiliating defeat,” Afghan Taliban forces allegedly targeted civilian areas. Mortar shells fired from across the border landed in Bajaur’s border villages, injuring five civilians, including three women. The injured were shifted to Khar Hospital for treatment. A local mosque also sustained structural damage.
Political Leadership Responds
Senior Pakistani officials strongly condemned the alleged aggression.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry stated that Pakistan would respond to western border threats with the same resolve shown on the eastern front.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif affirmed that Pakistan’s armed forces, under the leadership of Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, remain fully capable of defending the country’s sovereignty.
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar rejected what he described as “false and baseless propaganda” circulating on social media, stating that Pakistan’s armed forces were effectively neutralizing hostile intentions.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared that Pakistan would not compromise on national security, warning that patience had reached its limit.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned attacks on civilian populations and emphasized that Pakistan’s armed forces remain fully alert to defend the homeland.
Media Controversy
Meanwhile, British broadcaster Sky News reportedly deleted a social media post claiming that Afghanistan’s air force had carried out strikes inside Pakistan. Pakistani users criticized the post as misleading and unfounded.
Situation in Kabul
Reports also emerged of internal tensions within the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense in Kabul during the ongoing air operations, though independent confirmation was not available.
