Military spox says armed forces “effectively repulsed” attacks at 53 locations along Pak-Afghan border
DG ISPR will hold a press briefing on Friday. SCREEN GRAB
Pakistan has “effectively repulsed” Afghan Taliban insurgents at 53 locations along the border, inflicting heavy casualties while exercising restraint to avoid civilian casualties, the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press briefing on Friday.
“So far, 274 Taliban insurgents have been killed and over 400 wounded,” he said. “73 posts along the border have been destroyed, while 18 posts are now in our possession.” He added that 115 tanks used by rebels had also been destroyed during the attacks.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said the clashes took place in 22 locations in Kandahar, Kabul and Paktia and elsewhere, targeting terrorist infrastructure. “We specifically targeted logistics bases and shelters used by terrorists,” he said. “No civilian harm was caused and great care was taken to avoid harm to civilians.”
He acknowledged that Pakistan had also suffered casualties. “Twelve of our soldiers were martyred, 27 were wounded and one is missing in action,” he said. The military spokesman warned that Pakistan would respond decisively to any aggression and criticized the Afghan Taliban for adopting hostile rhetoric.
“Earlier, India had developed this flaw [to attack]and now the Afghan Taliban have developed the same mistake,” he said. “Today, the Afghan Taliban are shamelessly threatening to respond to Pakistan. This clearly shows how this master proxy is encouraging these terrorists.”
Lt Gen Chaudhry said Pakistan would hold the Afghan Taliban regime responsible for any attack originating from Afghan soil. “If there is an attack inside Pakistan, we will go after the Afghan Taliban,” he said. He emphasized that the Afghan Taliban must make a clear and decisive choice.
Read also: Military targets hit in Kabul as ‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq’ continues amid global calls for calm
“The repressive Afghan Taliban regime has to make a clear choice between Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Islamic State (Daesh), Al-Qaeda – these terrorist organizations – and Pakistan,” he said. “This is nothing new I am saying. The Pakistani government has conveyed this position many times before,” he added.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s national resolve, he added: “We are absolutely ready – Pakistan will always come above everything else.” “We have never hesitated to make sacrifices for Pakistan and we will always remain ready to make any sacrifice,” DG ISPR said.
He said the operation was carried out in accordance with Pakistan’s right to defend itself. “This operation was carried out in self-defense and everyone understands this,” he said.
DG ISPR also praised local law enforcement agencies for their efforts in the operation. “We salute the police of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa who are at the forefront of this fight,” he said.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said the operation was underway and producing the desired results under the supervision of the government. “The operation is continuing and we are achieving the desired results, personally supervised by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,” he added.
DG ISPR emphasized Pakistan’s broader role in counter-terrorism and said the country remained at the forefront of regional security efforts. “We are the bulwark against the threat of terrorism,” he said. “This threat is not limited to Pakistan alone but extends to the entire region.”
This is a development story.
