PESHAWAR (TDV): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Saturday claimed that at least 133 members of the Afghan Taliban were killed and more than 200 injured in Pakistan’s retaliatory military action following what he described as unprovoked cross-border firing.
According to the minister, Afghan Taliban forces opened fire across multiple locations along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa late on Friday night at around 10:30pm. In response, Pakistan launched an operation codenamed Ghazab Lil Haq against targets linked to the Afghan Taliban regime.
Tarar said defensive and command-related targets were struck in Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar, adding that the operation was ongoing and further casualties were possible.
The minister claimed that 27 Taliban posts were destroyed and nine captured during the counter-operation. He further alleged that two corps headquarters and three brigade headquarters were destroyed, along with two ammunition depots and a logistics base. According to Tarar, three battalion headquarters and two sector headquarters were also targeted.
He said more than 80 tanks, artillery guns and armoured personnel carriers belonging to the Afghan Taliban were destroyed, terming Pakistan’s response “effective” and proportionate to what he described as Taliban aggression.
Meanwhile, security sources said the Pakistan Air Force was continuing operations in Kandahar, with fighter jets maintaining air patrols following air strikes. The sources also claimed that the headquarters of the Paktia 205 Corps had been destroyed during the operation.
There has been no immediate response from Afghan Taliban authorities to Pakistan’s claims.
