Military spokesman says armed forces ‘effectively repelled’ attacks at 53 locations along Pakistan-Afghanistan border
DG ISPR at a press conference on Friday. SCREEN CAPTURE
Pakistan has “effectively repulsed” Afghan Taliban insurgents at 53 locations along the border, inflicting heavy losses and exercising restraint to avoid harm to civilians, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said at a news conference on Friday.
“So far, 274 Taliban insurgents have been killed and more than 400 wounded,” he said. “Seventy-three posts along the border have been destroyed, while 18 posts are now in our possession.” He added that 115 tanks used by the insurgents were also destroyed during the fighting.
Lieutenant General Chaudhry said clashes took place in 22 locations in Kandahar, Kabul and Paktia and other places, targeting terrorist infrastructure. “We specifically target logistics bases and shelters used by terrorists,” he said. “No harm was caused to civilians and great care was taken to avoid any harm to civilians.”
He acknowledged that Pakistan had also suffered casualties. “Twelve of our soldiers were martyred, 27 were wounded and one is missing in action,” he said. The military spokesman warned that Pakistan would respond decisively to any aggression and criticized the Afghan Taliban for adopting hostile rhetoric.
“Earlier, India had developed this bug. [to attack]”And now the Afghan Taliban have developed the same virus,” he said. “Today, the Afghan Taliban are brazenly threatening to retaliate against Pakistan. This clearly shows how this master representative encourages these terrorists.”
Lt. Gen. Chaudhry said Pakistan would hold the Afghan Taliban regime responsible for any attacks originating from Afghan soil. “If there is any attack inside Pakistan, we will go after the Afghan Taliban,” he said. He stressed that the Afghan Taliban must make a clear and decisive decision.
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“The oppressive Afghan Taliban regime has to choose clearly between Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), the Islamic State (Daesh), Al Qaeda – these terrorist organizations – and Pakistan,” he said. “What I am saying is not something new. The Pakistani government has expressed this position many times before,” he added.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s national resolve, he added: “We are absolutely clear: Pakistan will always be above all.” “We have never hesitated to sacrifice for Pakistan and we will always be ready to make any sacrifice,” DG ISPR said.
He said the operation was carried out in accordance with Pakistan’s right to defend itself. “This operation was carried out in self-defense and everyone understands that,” he said.
The DG ISPR also praised the local law enforcement agencies for their efforts in the operation. “We salute the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police who are at the forefront of this battle,” he said.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said the operation was ongoing and producing the desired results under government supervision. “The operation is continuing and we are achieving the desired results, personally supervised by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,” he added.
Emphasizing Pakistan’s broader role in the fight against terrorism, DG ISPR said the country remains at the forefront of regional security efforts. “We are the bulwark against the threat of terrorism,” he said. “This threat is not limited to Pakistan alone, but extends to the entire region.”
This is a developing story.
