Number of Afghan Taliban killed in ‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq’ hits 415: Tarar

Security forces have killed 415 Afghan Taliban in a major military operation launched in response to “unprovoked cross-border attacks” from Afghanistan, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Sunday.

‘Operation Ghazab-Lil-Haq’ was launched late Thursday following renewed clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The operation is ongoing and will continue until all objectives are achieved, sources confirm. The Pakistan Armed Forces remain fully committed to defending national security and responding decisively to any unprovoked aggression, they added.

In a statement broadcast on X, Tarar said that as of 4 p.m. Sunday, at least 415 Afghan Taliban terrorists had been killed, with more than 580 wounded.

He added that Pakistani forces had destroyed 182 Taliban positions, captured 31 others and disabled 185 tanks and armored personnel carriers. Airstrikes were carried out in 46 locations in Afghanistan, the minister said.

The latest escalation follows a series of baffling actions over the past year.

Last week, Pakistan carried out airstrikes targeting camps of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State Khorasan province inside Afghanistan following a spate of attacks in Pakistan, including a suicide bombing in Islamabad. Pakistani security sources said that more than 80 terrorists were killed in these attacks.

The federal government has consistently raised its voice in international forums against terrorist sanctuaries operating in Afghanistan and has used its soil to launch attacks on Pakistan – a development the UN Security Council attests to.

Earlier this month, a suicide bomber struck Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra during Friday prayers in Islamabad, killing 36 people and injuring around 169 others. The attack was the deadliest in Islamabad in more than a decade and the deadliest nationwide since the Peshawar mosque bombing in January 2023.

Immediately after the blast, raids were conducted in Nowshera and Peshawar, resulting in the arrest of four facilitators. The Daesh-linked mastermind, an Afghan national, was also captured. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated that the network behind the explosion had been trained in Afghanistan and that the authorities had gathered intelligence on the suspects prior to the attack.

Russia, China and Iran on Friday called for restraint and dialogue as airstrikes escalated between Pakistan and Afghanistan following Pakistani airstrikes and the seizure of border posts.

Russia called on both sides to immediately stop cross-border attacks and resolve their differences through diplomatic means, the RIA news agency reported, citing the Foreign Ministry. The ministry said Moscow would consider offering mediation if both sides request it.

Read more: Pakistan continues decisive attack on Afghan Taliban under ‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq’

Iran offered to help “facilitate dialogue” after Islamabad declared “open war” against the Taliban government and carried out airstrikes on Kabul following border clashes.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to provide any assistance necessary to facilitate dialogue and increase understanding and cooperation between the two countries,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement on X.

China said it was “deeply concerned” by the fighting and called for a ceasefire.

China “urges both sides to remain calm and exercise restraint … achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible and avoid further bloodshed,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing.

The State Department and China’s embassies in Pakistan and Afghanistan were “working with relevant parties in both countries on this matter,” she added.