Over 270 Taliban Regime Personnel, Terrorists Killed In Pakistan's Retaliatory Strikes: DG ISPR |
Pakistan’s military says it destroyed more than 73 Afghan posts and killed 270 Afghan Taliban regime personnel in large-scale retaliatory strikes along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, following what officials described as unprovoked cross-border firing.
Speaking at a press conference, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Afghan Taliban forces initiated firing across 15 sectors and 27 locations, triggering a calibrated Pakistani response under Operation Ghazab Lil Haq.
According to the military, Pakistani forces “effectively repulsed” attacks at 53 locations and inflicted heavy losses. In addition to the 274 fighters killed and over 400 injured, officials said 115 tanks and armoured vehicles were destroyed. Eighteen Afghan posts have reportedly been taken into Pakistani control.
Pakistan also suffered casualties. The DG ISPR confirmed that 12 soldiers were martyred, 27 wounded, and one remains missing in action.
The Pakistan Air Force carried out strikes on 22 locations across Afghanistan, including Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Nangarhar, Khost, and Paktika provinces. Targets included brigade and battalion headquarters, sector command centres, ammunition depots, and logistics bases. Chaudhry said the targets were selected through intelligence and that efforts were made to avoid civilian casualties.
He accused the Afghan Taliban regime of providing sanctuary to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan. According to the military, hideouts and logistics hubs used by these groups were among the primary targets.
Clashes were reported in multiple border regions, including Bajaur, Tirah, Kurram, Chitral, and Mohmand. Security sources said Pakistani forces shot down quadcopters allegedly used against their positions and destroyed additional check posts.
Chaudhry described the cross-border firing as a “deliberate escalation” and warned that Pakistan would respond with full force to defend its sovereignty. He said Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban to act against militant groups operating from Afghan soil.
“The Afghan Taliban must choose between terrorist organisations and Pakistan,” he said, naming groups including TTP, Balochistan Liberation Army, Islamic State, and Al-Qaeda.
The escalation comes amid rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul and a surge in militant violence in Pakistan’s border regions, raising fears of a broader conflict if hostilities continue.