Pakistan Initiates Operation Ghazab Lil Haq in Response to Afghan Aggression
Pakistan has launched a significant military operation, named Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, targeting the Afghan Taliban regime. This move comes after Kabul asserted that its forces eliminated 55 Pakistani soldiers in cross-border strikes, dramatically heightening tensions along the volatile Durand Line. The operation marks a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two neighboring nations.
Official Statements and Casualty Reports
State broadcaster PTV News confirmed the initiation of the operation, describing it as a direct response to what Pakistan labels "unprovoked aggression" from Afghanistan. According to PTV News, the operation has resulted in the deaths of 58 "Afghan kharjis," with over 100 injured and 12 Afghan military posts completely destroyed. Additionally, more than 30 Afghan tanks, artillery guns, and armored personnel carriers were reportedly destroyed during the offensive.
Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, emphasized that the armed forces are delivering a "crushing response" to the aggression from the Afghan Taliban. He called on the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with federal authorities and other provinces in defending the country's sovereignty.
Afghanistan's Claims and Counter-Offensive
The escalation follows assertions by the Taliban-led Afghan government that it seized 19 Pakistani military outposts and captured a major headquarters at Anzar Sar in Khost province. Afghanistan's Deputy Spokesperson, Hamdullah Fitrat, posted on X that "heavy retaliatory offensive operations" were launched along the Durand Line by the 203 Mansouri Corps and the 201 Khalid bin Walid Corps. He stated, "To date, one headquarters and nineteen outposts have been captured," adding that "up to fifty-five Pakistani soldiers have been killed," with 23 bodies recovered and others taken alive. Fitrat claimed dozens of weapons were seized and that operations are ongoing across several eastern provinces, including Paktia, Paktika, and Nangarhar, as well as at the Torkham Gate crossing.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid explained that the offensive was in retaliation for repeated Pakistani assaults, posting, "Extensive offensive operations have begun against Pakistani army centers and military facilities along the Durand Line."
Pakistan's Rejection and Response
Islamabad has firmly rejected Kabul's casualty figures. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that only two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three wounded, while 36 Afghan fighters had died. He described Afghanistan's actions as unprovoked and asserted that Pakistan is providing a "strong and effective response" to the aggression.
Background and Broader Implications
The recent clashes are part of a broader pattern of violence, following Pakistani airstrikes earlier this week that Islamabad claimed targeted militant training camps near the border. Afghanistan countered by stating that these strikes resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children, and condemned them as a violation of its sovereignty.
With both sides exchanging heavy fire and evacuations reported near the Torkham crossing, concerns are mounting over the potential for a wider confrontation. The situation remains tense, as military engagements continue to unfold along the disputed Durand Line, raising fears of further escalation in the region.
