297 terrorists killed, 89 Afghan Taliban posts destroyed in ongoing strikes under ‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq’: govt

Prime Minister’s Spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi on Friday evening took stock of the ongoing Ghazab Lil Haq Operation and said at least 297 Afghan Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members and terrorists were killed as Pakistani forces continued their vigorous response to the unprovoked aggression by the neighboring country’s forces.

Earlier on Friday, Pakistani forces targeted key military installations of the Afghan Taliban regime in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia through effective airstrikes. The military spokesperson said the ongoing operation was producing the expected results, with the insurgents effectively pushed back at 53 locations along the border, inflicting heavy casualties while exercising restraint to avoid harming civilians.

In a post on

“A total of 297 Afghan Taliban, TTP and other terrorists are confirmed killed, and more than 450 are believed to be injured,” he said, adding that 89 Afghan Taliban posts were destroyed and 18 captured.

Zaidi further said that 135 tanks and armed personnel carriers of the Afghan Taliban regime were destroyed, while 29 sites across Afghanistan were subjected to airstrikes.

“Pakistan’s immediate and effective response to the aggression continues,” the Prime Minister’s spokesperson added.

Information Minister Ataullah Tarar also provided the same update.

Speaking in an interview with ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ show on a private television channel, he said the operation in Afghanistan was underway, emphasizing that the threats needed to be neutralized.

“Pakistan showed great patience and restraint. Attacks continued on Pakistan, terrorist incidents continued to occur, in which Afghanistan’s role was quite clear and the evidence exists,” he said.

The minister said when Pakistan was attacked during the night, it was the country’s duty to respond. “Pakistan carried out a measured and comprehensive counter-operation, which is still ongoing,” he said, stressing that strikes were carried out against military and terrorist targets while ensuring that the Kabul Green Zone was not affected and no civilians were targeted.

“From brigade headquarters to central headquarters and ammunition depots, their military installations have been completely destroyed,” he said, adding that the situation persisted and future developments would be closely monitored.

Read: ‘Clear as daylight’: Tarar says unprovoked attacks in Afghanistan reveal link between Taliban and terrorism

Tarar said Afghan forces attempted attacks and skirmishes in Khyber and northern areas such as Chitral, but failed due to lack of conventional warfare capability. “After the success of the Pakistani operation, a change in tone regarding Afghanistan is now evident,” he added.

“It cannot happen that terrorists carry out attacks repeatedly in Pakistan, receive facilities and shelter, undergo training, operate inside Pakistan and then attack Pakistan’s borders; this cannot be allowed,” he said.

Referring to the drone attacks from Afghanistan that were successfully neutralized, Tarar said the timing and timing of these incidents indicated a clear link between the terrorists and the Afghan Taliban regime.

“This is not an internal issue of Pakistan, but an internal issue of Afghanistan. Media reports say that their defense ministries have even shot at each other. In Pakistan, there is unity. Today, the KP Chief Minister also issued a statement of support for the country’s defense and armed forces, which we welcome,” he added.

He said the nexus between terrorists and cross-border terrorism was an international issue and highlighted that it was the problem of Afghanistan, which Pakistan was successfully neutralizing while achieving significant results.

The information minister was apparently referring to a statement by KP CM Sohail Afridi on

“It is not only the responsibility of the KP government, but every Pakistani considers it their national duty. Despite criticism over internal disagreements and wrong policies, we will stand with our country and our security forces in the face of external plots or aggression.”

He added that to establish peace in Afghanistan and the tribal areas, it had become “imperative” to move forward with three parties, as former Prime Minister Imran Khan had told him.

“First, the people of Pakistan’s tribal areas; second, the Afghan government; and third, the Afghan people – without the support of these three parties, no successful operation or lasting solution is possible.”

CM Afridi said that in light of Imran’s directives, he had advised the federal representatives to form a National Jirga comprising representatives of the provincial and federal governments, tribal elders and elders of all political and religious parties.

“This is the only way by which problems can be resolved in the best possible way. War should always be the last option. War increases problems, it does not reduce them.”