Pakistan's security forces carried out precision strikes on terrorist camps and safe havens of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Fitna al-Khawarij in Afghanistan's Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar provinces on the night of June 28-29, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced on Monday.
Operation Ghazab Lil Haq
In a post on X, Tarar said the strikes eliminated terrorists and destroyed weapons and ammunition stockpiles. The operation, named Ghazab Lil Haq, targeted these militant groups following a series of terrorist attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and on a Sindh Rangers camp in Karachi.
Ground Operation and Precision Strikes
Tarar's statement on Sunday detailed that security forces first conducted an intelligence-based ground operation near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Bajaur district on June 28, killing four militants, including alleged high-value commander Khan Farosh alias Zabal. Several other terrorists were injured. This was followed by precision strikes on three terrorist targets in Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar during the night of June 28-29. According to Tarar, 25 terrorists were killed in those strikes, bringing the total number of militants killed during the operation to 29.
Destruction of Weapons and Ammunition
The statement also noted that large quantities of weapons and ammunition stored at the targeted camps and hideouts were destroyed. “Pakistan has always strived to maintain peace and stability in the region, but at the same time shall not compromise on the safety and security of our citizens, which remains our top priority,” Tarar said. He added that Pakistan's counterterrorism campaign under the Azm-e-Istehkam strategy would continue “at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.”
Background of the Conflict
Fitna al-Khawarij is the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is one of the group's breakaway factions. Fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan started in October, killing scores on both sides, with Afghans taking the brunt. Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of harbouring militants who launch attacks in Pakistan, although Kabul denies this, calling the militancy Islamabad's domestic problem.
Previous Developments
Operation Ghazab Lil Haq was launched around the end of February following renewed clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, after Afghan Taliban forces fired on multiple locations, prompting swift military retaliation by Pakistan. The clashes intensified after Afghanistan launched a border offensive in response to Pakistani air strikes targeting terrorist positions. The two sides had agreed to a week-long ceasefire on the eve of Eidul Fitr on March 18 following requests from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
Pakistan in April put forth three core demands to the Afghan Taliban during peace talks in Urumqi, China, including Kabul formally declaring the TTP a terrorist organisation, dismantling its infrastructure, and providing verifiable proof of the action. The demands form the basis of Pakistan's negotiating position, which sources say has hardened amid persistent security concerns. In the most recent development, Pakistan carried out “precision strikes” along the border targeting terrorist hideouts, killing 26 Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists in response to recent terrorist attacks in the country.
