Authorities said Taliban-linked forces facing punitive operations across Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur, says information ministry
By Asghar Ali Mubarak/Social Media
ISLAMABAD: Security forces have killed at least 44 members of the Afghan Taliban regime in retaliatory fire along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border on Thursday, officials said as unprovoked cross-border attacks on its positions.
The operation, Ghazb-ul-Haq, was launched after Taliban forces allegedly opened fire on multiple Pakistani posts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chitral, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur sectors, prompting a swift and coordinated military response. Speaking at a briefing, Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar accused the Afghan Taliban of initiating hostilities before attempting to shift blame through what he described as “false and baseless propaganda” on social media.
According to security sources, the operation – named “Ghazab-ul-Haq” – was initiated after cross-border incidents intensified in recent days. Officials claimed that 58 Afghan fighters had been killed and more than 100 injured in retaliatory strikes. Twelve Afghan posts were said to have been completely destroyed, while five others were reportedly seized. The claims could not be independently verified.
Pakistan’s military said two of its soldiers were killed and three wounded during the exchanges. Security officials added that the Pakistan air force had carried out strikes in Nangarhar province, where they claimed a large ammunition depot had been destroyed. They further alleged that three battalion headquarters and a sector headquarters had been targeted, along with more than 30 tanks, artillery guns and armoured personnel carriers.
Fighting was reported across several sectors of the mountainous frontier, including Chitral, Bajaur, Khyber and Mohmand. Pakistani officials said two Afghan posts were destroyed in Bajaur, while heavy exchanges continued in the Gursal sector of Mohmand and in Arundu in Chitral. Officials also said an attempt to target Pakistani positions with quadcopter drones had been thwarted, with all drones shot down before reaching their targets.
Security sources confirmed that Taliban attempts to assault Pakistani check posts using quadcopters had been thwarted, with all drones shot down. Heavy and light weapons, including targeted drone strikes, were deployed by forces to neutralize Taliban positions, which resulted in the destruction of multiple posts and equipment on the Afghan side. Social media posts claimed that security forces have captured various Afghan border posts after the retaliation attack.
Prime Minister’s spokesperson for foreign media, Mosharraf Zaidi, reassured the public that no Pakistani posts had been captured or damaged and dismissed claims of Pakistani casualties as “the fantasy of India’s proxies in Afghanistan.” He added that all aggression against Pakistan would be met with “immediate and effective” response.
The confrontation followed recent intelligence-based airstrikes by Pakistan targeting over 100 terrorists in Afghan provinces including Nangarhar, Paktika and Khost. These strikes were reportedly carried out in response to suicide attacks in Pakistan linked to banned terrorist groups collectively referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to defending its territorial integrity and citizens’ safety, warning that attacks on civilians would not be tolerated. He emphasized that Pakistan would go to any length to preserve peace within its borders, while urging Afghanistan to become a peaceful neighbor.
The clashes mark the latest escalation along the volatile Pakistan–Afghanistan frontier, highlighting the persistent security challenges in the region and the continued entanglement of terrorist groups, cross-border tensions, and broader geopolitical rivalries.
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