ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s armed forces have intensified cross-border operations in Afghanistan under Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, targeting terror infrastructures linked to the Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khwarij, security sources said on Sunday.
In the operation, launched on February 26 in response to repeated attacks from Afghan territory, Pakistani forces attacked multiple locations in Kandahar province during the night of March 14-15.
Afghan Taliban terrorist hideouts, military installations, equipment storage facilities and technical support centers used to facilitate attacks on Pakistani civilians by Fitna al-Khwarij (the term used for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) were destroyed.
“Last night, forces attacked a technical support center and a weapons depot in Kandahar,” a security source said. “A major underground tunnel used to store technical equipment for militant activities was destroyed, along with another tunnel housing additional weapons.”
In Chitral sector, according to security sources, ground forces also destroyed a terrorist launch point near Badani post along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border using small and heavy weapons, supplemented by quadcopters.
Sources informed that Operation Ghazab Lil Haq has caused heavy losses to the terrorists. So far, they added, 684 Afghan Taliban operatives have been killed, more than 912 have been injured, while 252 posts have been destroyed and 44 captured and demolished.
In addition, a total of 229 tanks, armored vehicles and artillery pieces were destroyed, while 73 sites linked to terrorist infrastructure were targeted by airstrikes, the sources added.
Operation Ghazab Lil Haq aims to dismantle terrorist camps, logistics centers and infrastructure that facilitate cross-border attacks, and officials said the campaign will continue until all objectives are achieved.
Security officials emphasized that only facilities that directly or indirectly supported terrorist activities were targeted. The Ministry of Information dismissed the Kabul regime’s claims that civilians were being targeted.
Drones neutralized
The latest attacks came as the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said drones launched from Afghanistan against Pakistani cities were intercepted before reaching their intended targets. He added that the remains of the intercepted devices injured some civilians.
“On March 13, 2026, the Afghan Taliban launched a few rudimentary drones to harass the brave people of Pakistan,” the army’s media wing said, adding that the drones were neutralized using a combination of electronic and kinetic countermeasures.
“The drones were intercepted through soft and hard attacks and did not hit their intended targets,” he said. “Debris from these drones injured two children in Quetta and one civilian in Kohat and Rawalpindi,” the ISPR added.
The Ministry of Information also dismissed baseless “propaganda and fabricated claims” by the so-called Ministry of Defense of the Afghan Taliban regarding “a successful drone attack” in Wana, South Waziristan.
The ministry claimed that a drone was neutralized over South Waziristan using soft kill technology, causing no damage and leaving military installations and infrastructure unscathed. He added that the Taliban has a history of making misleading statements.
The ministry cited previous Afghan claims, including reports of downed Pakistan Air Force (PAF) planes and captured pilots, which were proven to be false. “The information circulating on social networks contradicts the facts. The truth always prevails over lies and propaganda.”
Four dead in Bajaur
Meanwhile, four members of the same family were killed and another injured after a mortar shell, allegedly fired from across the Afghan border, hit a house in the border area of Liti, Salarzai Tehsil, Bajaur district, police said.
Authorities said the projectile hit a house and killed four brothers instantly. The deceased were identified as Sajid, Ayaz, Riaz and Muaz. One person was seriously injured in the incident and was taken to a nearby hospital.
(WITH INPUTS FROM OUR BAJAUR CORRESPONDENT, HANIFULLAH)
