ISLAMABAD: The confrontation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border intensified dramatically overnight as Pakistan’s security forces launched Operation Ghazab-lil-Haqq in response to what officials described as unprovoked cross-border attacks by the Afghan Taliban regime.
HIGHLIGHTS:
• Pakistan launches Operation Ghazab-lil-Haqq after alleged unprovoked Afghan Taliban cross-border attacks
• 133 Afghan Taliban fighters killed, over 200 wounded in retaliatory strikes
• Pakistan Air Force destroys major ammunition depot in Nangarhar province
• 27 Taliban posts destroyed, 9 captured; key military infrastructure targeted
• Over 80 tanks, artillery guns and armoured personnel carriers neutralised
• Two Pakistani soldiers martyred, three wounded, officials confirm
• Government rejects “false propaganda” about territorial losses
• Quadcopters shot down as Taliban attack attempts fail
According to security sources, Pakistan Air Force jets carried out precision strikes targeting militant infrastructure in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, destroying a major ammunition depot.
The retaliatory action followed reported Taliban aggression on multiple Pakistani border posts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A senior government official confirmed on Friday that 133 personnel of the Afghan Taliban regime were killed and more than 200 others wounded during the ongoing counter-strikes. Additional casualties were reported across military targets in Kabul, Paktia, and Kandahar.
Prime Minister’s spokesperson for foreign media, Mosharraf Zaidi, provided an update at 3:45am, confirming that Pakistani counter-strikes were continuing against militant positions. He stated that 27 Taliban posts had been destroyed while nine were captured, signaling what he described as a sustained degradation of enemy capabilities.
According to Zaidi, key infrastructure targeted included two Corps Headquarters, three Brigade Headquarters, three battalion headquarters, two sector headquarters, two ammunition depots, and a logistics base. He added that more than 80 tanks, artillery guns, and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) were destroyed in the operation.
In an earlier social media update, Zaidi said 72 Afghan Taliban militants were killed and over 120 injured during the initial phase of counter-strikes. He maintained that no Pakistani military posts had been captured or damaged and confirmed that no Pakistani soldiers were taken prisoner.
“As of right now, there have been no Pakistani soldiers captured, nor any Pakistani soldiers martyred,” Zaidi said, rejecting claims circulating online about Pakistani losses. He alleged that reports of territorial damage were being spread by Indian proxies operating from Afghan soil.
Security sources further confirmed that 12 Afghan border posts were completely destroyed, while Pakistani forces took control of five additional posts, raising the national flag on them. In Kandahar province, another ammunition depot and a logistics base were reportedly destroyed.
Officials also stated that a core headquarters of the Afghan Taliban was demolished in Paktia province.
In addition, three Afghan battalions and a sector headquarters were destroyed in the latest phase of the operation. More than 30 tanks and heavy military assets were neutralised, according to security officials.
Pakistani forces also targeted Taliban positions at the Kharlachi terminal, a strategic crossing in Kurram district. In the Mohmand sector, Afghan Taliban posts were reportedly abandoned as fighters retreated under sustained pressure.
Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar stated that the Afghan Taliban regime initiated hostilities and then attempted to deflect attention through “false and baseless propaganda” on social media. He claimed that Afghan Taliban-linked and Indian accounts were spreading misleading narratives to cover up battlefield setbacks.
Tarar confirmed that 36 Afghan Taliban operatives were killed in one exchange, while on the Pakistani side, two soldiers were martyred and three others wounded. He emphasised that Pakistan’s armed forces were acting with professionalism and resolve.
The minister also noted that Pakistan conducted operations against “Fitna al-Khawarij,” a term used for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He accused the Afghan Taliban of providing safe havens to militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to national security, stating that no one would be allowed to undermine the country’s peace. Speaking to media, he stressed that Pakistan would go to any extent necessary to protect its citizens and territorial integrity.
Similarly, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani said that Pakistan had shared evidence of militant activity with Afghan authorities, but no action was taken.
Referring to the Doha Agreement, he noted that Afghanistan had pledged not to allow its territory to be used against other countries, but alleged a lack of implementation.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that the Afghan Taliban miscalculated by opening fire on multiple locations across the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It added that Taliban regime forces were being “delivered punishment” in Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram, and Bajaur sectors.
Security sources further reported that Taliban attempts to attack Pakistani check posts using quadcopters were thwarted, with all drones shot down in swift defensive action. Pakistani forces are reportedly responding with both light and heavy weapons, supported by drone operations.
The escalation comes days after intelligence-based airstrikes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border reportedly killed more than 100 militants linked to the TTP in Nangarhar, Paktika, and Khost provinces. Those strikes followed recent suicide attacks inside Pakistan.
Officials maintain that Pakistan will take all necessary measures to ensure its territorial integrity and safeguard its citizens. There has been no immediate response from Taliban authorities in Kabul regarding the latest developments.
The situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border remains fluid, with counter-strikes continuing as both sides brace for further escalation.