ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s armed forces have intensified cross-border operations in Afghanistan under Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, targeting terror infrastructure linked to the Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khwarij, security sources said on Sunday.
The operation, launched on February 26 in response to repeated attacks from Afghan territory, saw Pakistani forces attack several locations in Kandahar province on the night of March 14-15.
Terrorist hideouts, military installations, equipment storage facilities and technical support centers of the Afghan Taliban used to facilitate attacks against Pakistani civilians by Fitna al-Khwarij – a term used for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan – were destroyed.
“Last night forces targeted a technical support center and a weapons depot in Kandahar,” a security source said. “A very significant underground tunnel used to store technical equipment for militant activities was destroyed along with another tunnel containing additional weapons.”
In the Chitral sector, according to security sources, ground forces also destroyed a terror launch site near the Badani post along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border using small arms and heavy weapons, supplemented by quadcopters.
The sources reported that Operation Ghazab Lil Haq has inflicted heavy casualties on terrorists. So far, they added, 684 Afghan Taliban activists have been killed, more than 912 wounded, while 252 positions have been destroyed and 44 captured and demolished.
Furthermore, a total of 229 tanks, armored vehicles and artillery pieces were destroyed, while 73 locations linked to terrorist infrastructure were effectively targeted in airstrikes, the sources added.
Operation Ghazab Lil Haq aims to dismantle terrorist camps, logistical hubs and infrastructure that facilitate cross-border attacks, and officials said the campaign will continue until all objectives are achieved.
Security officials emphasized that only installations that directly or indirectly support terrorist activities were targeted. The Ministry of Information denied claims by the Kabul regime that civilians were targeted.
Drones neutralized
The latest attacks came as the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said drones launched from Afghanistan to target Pakistani cities were intercepted before reaching their intended targets. It added that debris from the intercepted units injured some civilians.
“On March 13, 2026, Afghan Taliban launched a few rudimentary drones to harass the brave people of Pakistan,” the military’s media wing said, adding that the drones were neutralized using a combination of electronic and kinetic countermeasures.
“The drones were intercepted through soft and hard kills and failed to reach their intended targets,” it said. “The debris from these drones resulted in injuries to two children in Quetta and one civilian each in Kohat and Rawalpindi,” ISPR added.
The Ministry of Information also rejected the baseless “propaganda and fabricated claims” by the Afghan Taliban’s so-called Ministry of Defense regarding “a successful drone strike” in Wana, South Waziristan.
The ministry said a drone was neutralized over South Waziristan using soft-kill technology, causing no damage and leaving military installations and infrastructure unscathed. It added that the Taliban have a history of making misleading statements.
The ministry cited earlier Afghan claims, including reports of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) planes being shot down and pilots captured, which were proven false. “Information circulating on social media contradicts facts. Truth always wins over lies and propaganda.”
Four killed in Bajaur
Meanwhile, four members of the same family were killed and another injured after a mortar shell, allegedly fired from across the Afghan border, landed on a house in the border area of Liti, police said in Salarzai Tehsil, Bajaur district.
Officials said the shell hit a house, killing four brothers on the spot. The deceased were identified as Sajid, Ayaz, Riaz and Muaz. One person sustained serious injuries in the incident and was taken to a nearby hospital.
(With input from our BAJAUR CORRESPONDENT HANIFULLAH)
