297 terrorists killed and 89 Afghan Taliban posts destroyed in ongoing attacks under ‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq’: Govt

Prime Minister’s Spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi provided an update on the ongoing ‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq’ on Friday night and said at least 297 Afghan Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members and terrorists have been killed so far as Pakistani forces continued their strong response to the unprovoked aggression by the neighboring country’s forces.

Earlier on Friday, Pakistani forces attacked key military installations of the Afghan Taliban regime in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia through effective airstrikes. The military spokesman said the ongoing operation was producing the desired results, with the insurgents effectively repulsed in 53 locations along the border, inflicting heavy losses and exercising restraint to avoid harm to civilians.

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“A total of 297 Afghan Taliban, TTP and other terrorists have been confirmed dead, and more than 450 have been reported injured,” he said, adding that 89 Afghan Taliban posts were destroyed and 18 captured.

Zaidi further said that 135 tanks and armed troop carriers of the Afghan Taliban regime had been destroyed, while 29 locations across Afghanistan were targeted by airstrikes.

“Pakistan’s immediate and effective response to the aggression continues,” the prime minister’s spokesman added.

Information Minister Ataullah Tarar also provided the same update.

In an interview on a private television channel’s ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ programme, he said that the operation in Afghanistan was ongoing and stressed that there was a need to neutralize the threats.

“Pakistan has shown great patience and restraint. Attacks continued on Pakistan, terrorist incidents continued to occur, in which Afghanistan’s role was totally clear and there is evidence,” he said.

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

“From the brigade headquarters to the central headquarters and ammunition depots, their military facilities were completely destroyed,” he said, adding that the situation was still ongoing and future developments would be closely monitored.

Read: ‘Clear as daylight’: Tarar says unprovoked Afghanistan attacks expose Taliban-terrorist nexus

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 Pakistan’s successful operation, a change in tone is now evident in Afghanistan,” he added.

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

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

“This is not an internal issue of Pakistan; it is an internal issue of Afghanistan. Media reports indicate that their Defense Ministry has even taken potshots at each other. There is unity in Pakistan. Today, the KP Prime Minister also issued a statement in support of the country’s armed and defense forces, which we welcome,” he added.

He said terrorist nexus and cross-border terrorism was an international issue and emphasized that it was Afghanistan’s problem, which Pakistan was successfully neutralizing and achieving significant results.

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“This is not only the responsibility of the KP government, but all Pakistanis consider it their national duty. Despite criticism of internal disagreements and flawed policies, we will support our country and security forces in the face of external conspiracies or aggression.”

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

“First, the people of the tribal areas of Pakistan; second, the Afghan government; and third, the people of Afghanistan; 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 that included representatives of the provincial and federal governments, tribal elders and elders of all political and religious parties.

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