Information minister says 81 sites across Afghanistan targeted in airstrikes
A Pakistani army soldier stands guard at a border terminal in Ghulam Khan, a town in North Waziristan on the Pakistan-Afghan border. Photo: AFP
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Sunday that 796 Afghan Taliban were killed and more than 1,043 injured during Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, launched in response to “unprovoked action” from across the Afghan border.
The operation resumed after a temporary pause out of respect for the Eidul Fitr celebrations and the demands of Islamic countries. The break ended at midnight between March 23 and 24. The operation was launched more than a month ago in retaliation for shootings by Afghan Taliban forces at several sites. Islamabad said the February airstrikes that triggered the escalation targeted terrorists. Islamabad has accused Afghanistan of failing to act against terrorist groups carrying out attacks in Pakistan, something the Taliban government has rejected.
Taking stock of the losses of the Afghan Taliban regime on his X account, the Information Minister said that 286 checkpoints had been destroyed and 44 others captured by Pakistani security forces.
“Two hundred and forty-nine tanks, armored vehicles and artillery guns were also destroyed during the operation,” he said.
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The minister added that the airstrikes effectively targeted 81 sites across Afghanistan.
✅Operation Ghazb little Haq
✅Updated at 5:00 p.m. on April 5, 26✅Summary of Fitna Al Khawarij/Afghan Taliban losses
▪️796 killed,
▪️1043+ injured
▪️286 messages destroyed
▪️44 messages captured
▪️249 tanks, armored vehicles, artillery guns, drones destroyed
▪️81 terrorists and…– Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) April 5, 2026
“As part of these operations, on the night of April 2-3, an attempted physical attack on a border post in the Ghulam Khan sector by the Afghan Taliban/FAK (Fitna al-Khawarij) was completely foiled, during which they suffered heavy losses, including 37 sent to hell and more than 80 injured,” Tarar said.
China, which shares a western border with both countries, has tried to mediate between the allies-turned-enemies, phoning their foreign ministers and sending a special envoy to visit in March.
He said on Friday that negotiations between the two were progressing steadily, following reports that the neighbors were meeting in China to “try to end their worst conflict since the Taliban returned to power in 2021”.
“Pakistan and Afghanistan attach importance to and welcome China’s mediation and are willing to resume negotiations, which is a positive development,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily news conference.
Fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan that began in October has left dozens dead on both sides, with Afghans bearing the brunt.
Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of harboring militants who launch attacks in Pakistan, although Kabul denies this, calling such militancy its neighbor’s domestic problem.
