481 Afghan Taliban killed, 226 checkpoints destroyed as Operation Ghazab lil-Haq enters seventh day

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Wednesday that 481 Afghan Taliban militants have been killed and more than 696 wounded during the ongoing operation Ghazab Lil Haq, launched in response to “unprovoked action” from across the Afghan border.

‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq’ was launched late Thursday following renewed clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as Afghan Taliban forces fired at several locations, prompting swift military retaliation. The neighbors have clashed along the border since last week, when Afghanistan launched a border offensive in response to Pakistani airstrikes.

Islamabad said its airstrikes in February that triggered the escalation were targeting terrorists. Islamabad accuses Afghanistan of failing to act against terrorist groups that carry out attacks in Pakistan, which the Taliban government denies. The border fighting has affected several Afghan provinces. The violence in recent days is the worst since October fighting killed more than 70 people on both sides, with land borders between the neighbors largely closed since.

In providing a summary of the Afghan Taliban regime’s losses from 16 today, the Information Minister said that 226 checkpoints had been destroyed and 35 others captured by Pakistani security forces.

“One hundred and ninety eight tanks, armored vehicles and artillery guns have also been destroyed during the operation,” he said.

The minister added that 56 locations in Afghanistan were effectively targeted by airstrikes.

Read also: Pakistan launches cross-border raids on seven terrorist camps after bombings

The latest escalation of tensions between the two countries follows a series of bumbling actions over the past year.

Pakistan has previously 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 attacks led to attacks from Afghanistan along the border, sparking the latest round of open conflict.

Islamabad has long maintained that TTP leaders operate from Afghan territory, a claim that Kabul has repeatedly denied.

Tensions also rose after a series of explosions in Kabul on October 9 last year. Taliban forces subsequently targeted areas along the Pakistan border, prompting Islamabad to respond with cross-border shelling. The exchanges caused losses and damage to infrastructure on both sides and led to the suspension of trade after the border crossings were closed on 12 October 2025.