67 Taliban terrorists killed in Balochistan, K-P as Operation Ghazab Lil Haq intensifies

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday said that the security forces had killed 464 combatants of the Afghan Taliban regime, destroyed 188 check posts and captured 31 others during Operation Ghazab Lil Haq that was launched by Pakistan following “unprovoked action” from across the border.

‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq’ was launched late on Thursday after renewed clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, when Afghan Taliban forces fired on multiple locations, prompting swift military retaliation. The neighbours have clashed along the frontier since last week, when Afghanistan launched a border offensive in response to Pakistani air strikes.

Islamabad said its February air strikes that sparked 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 rejects. The border fighting has hit multiple Afghan provinces. The violence of recent days is the worst since the October fighting killed more than 70 people on both sides, with land borders between the neighbours largely shut since.

Providing a summary of the Afghan Taliban regime’s losses as of 4pm today, the information minister said that over 665 Afghan operatives were injured while around 192 tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery guns were destroyed.

The minister noted that around 56 locations across Afghanistan were also “effectively targeted by air”.

He earlier said that at least 67 Taliban terrorists were killed in separate operations in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa while one soldier of the Balochistan Frontier Corps (FC) was martyred during ongoing counterterrorism operations.

The minister said security forces were continuing operations and responding to coordinated attacks launched by terrorists in multiple districts.

According to Tarar, terrorists carried out 16 physical attacks in Balochistan’s Qilla Saifullah, Noshki and Chaman districts, all of which were effectively repulsed by security forces. Troops also faced fire raids at 25 additional locations, which were successfully thwarted.

“One soldier of FC Balochistan North gave the ultimate sacrifice while defending the motherland, while five soldiers are injured,” the minister said.

Read: Op Ghazab Lil Haq to continue until Taliban halt support for terrorists: state media

He added that security forces killed 27 Taliban terrorists during operations in Balochistan.

Meanwhile, in K-P, security forces repelled another series of attacks overnight. Tarar said a physical attack was attempted at one location, while fire raids were conducted at 12 separate sites.

“Physical attack was attempted at one place while fire raid was conducted on 12 locations which were all repulsed without any loss of life,” he wrote.

The minister added that 40 Afghan Taliban terrorists were killed during overnight operations in the province.

The operations come amid an intensified nationwide campaign against terrorist groups targeting security forces and border districts, particularly in areas adjoining Afghanistan.

Earlier today, AFP journalists in Kabul heard multiple explosions and gunfire as Afghan and Pakistani troops continued border clashes. Blasts echoed across the capital alongside anti-aircraft fire, while Afghanistan’s defence ministry said fighting with Pakistani forces was ongoing.

At the nearest border crossing, around 50 kilometres from Jalalabad, residents in Torkham told AFP the days-long fighting was continuing.