Pakistan on Friday launched a retaliatory operation in response to alleged border attacks by the Afghan Taliban and said it had killed over 130 Taliban fighters.
“Operation Ghazab Lil Haq”, as Pakistan called it, was launched late Thursday night after the Afghan Taliban reportedly launched attacks on several border crossings.
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Defense Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed the operation was underway, saying the armed forces were currently responding vigorously to aggression by the Afghan Taliban.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar gave an update on the operation, saying at least 133 Afghan Taliban operatives had been killed and more than 200 wounded.
“Defensive targets of the Afghan Taliban in Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar were targeted with the possibility of further casualties,” he said, adding that at least 27 positions of the Afghan Taliban regime were destroyed and nine more positions were captured.
Our cup of patience has run over: Khawaja Asif
Later, in a post on X, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif issued a strong statement declaring “open war” on Afghanistan, saying Islamabad had lost patience and accusing the Taliban-led administration of harboring militants.
“Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now it is open war between us and you. Now it will be ‘Dama Dam Mast Qalandar’. Pakistan Army has not come from across the seas. We are your neighbours, we know your tricks. Allahu Akbar,” Pakistan’s defense minister said.
The escalation comes at a time of heightened tension between Islamabad and the Taliban-led government in Kabul over cross-border security concerns along the Durand Line, a border drawn by the British in the 19th century that remains a point of contention between the two countries.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory operations along the Durand Line on Thursday.
In a press release, the ministry said the operation was launched at 20:00 on the 9th of Ramadan, which corresponds to February 26, in response to what it described as a violation of Afghan territory by Pakistani military forces a few days ago.
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“A few days ago, Pakistani military circles with great audacity violated the Afghan territory, breached our borders and tortured women and children there,” the statement said.
“A total of 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed, two bases and 19 posts were captured in these retaliatory operations along the Durand Line,” the statement added.
In retaliation, Pakistan launched Operation “Ghazab Lil Haq” targeting the Afghan Taliban regime, as reported by Pakistan’s ARY News.
What is Operation Ghazab Lil Haq?
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said that Operation “Ghazab lil-Haq” had been launched. The Afghan Taliban opened unprovoked firing at multiple locations along the border in Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur sectors on Thursday night, The Dawn reported.
In retaliation, Pakistan said it carried out airstrikes targeting important Taliban military installations in major cities, including Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia, causing significant damage, including the destruction of the brigade’s headquarters.
“Ghazab Lil Haq” is the term used by Pakistan to describe this “retaliation” for alleged “unprovoked firing” and aggression by Afghan forces along the Durand Line. Pakistan has accused the Afghan Taliban of harboring militant groups.
So far, reports citing Pakistani officials indicate that over 130 Taliban fighters have been killed in the airstrikes. Afghanistan, on the other hand, reported that its forces killed 55 Pakistani soldiers and captured several bases, including a headquarters in Anzar Sar in Khost province.
what does that term mean?
The phrase “Ghazab Lil Haq” is an Arabic term that roughly translates to “anger for justice” or “anger for truth” in English. It carries religious and moral overtones, implying anger expressed in defense of what is considered a just or righteous cause.
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In militant contexts, such phrases are often used to frame the operation as a form of retributive justice rather than aggression.
A spokesman for Pakistani Prime Minister Mosharraf Zaidi said 133 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed and more than 200 wounded, with 27 Taliban positions destroyed and nine captured.
What is the role of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan?
Islamabad says militant violence in Pakistan has surged in recent years, with much of it blamed on Pakistan Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch separatist groups. The TTP is separate from the Afghan Taliban, but shares deep ideological, social and linguistic ties with it. TTP emerged in 2007 in Pakistan’s tribal areas.
The Afghan Taliban has repeatedly denied allowing militants to use Afghan territory to launch attacks in Pakistan.
Our cup of patience has overflowed. Now there is open war between us and you.
Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the people and armed forces of Pakistan are always ready to ensure the security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation. In a statement issued Office of the Prime MinisterSharif reiterated the commitment of the armed forces to protect the security and peace of the country.
“Our forces are fully capable of crushing any aggressive ambitions,” he said. “There will be no compromise in the defense of the beloved motherland and any aggression will be met with an appropriate response,” he said.
Key things
- The operation marks an escalation of the military conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
- The two nations blame each other for recent violence and military casualties.
- The term “Ghazab Lil Haq” emphasizes the moral justification of military action to defend against perceived injustice.
