Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has said in a post on X that Pakistan successfully targeted 70 terrorist-linked installations across Afghanistan during Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, including logistic bases and camps.
According to Tarar, 663 militants were killed, over 887 injured, 249 posts destroyed, 44 captured, and 224 tanks, armoured vehicles, and artillery guns destroyed.
He added that Pakistan precisely targeted installations that directly or indirectly support terrorism, and no civilian populations or infrastructure were affected, countering claims made by Afghan officials.
The drone incidents near Rawalpindi, which occurred after the strikes, were also highlighted by the military. Several rudimentary drones allegedly launched from Afghanistan were intercepted before reaching their intended targets. Debris from the downed drones injured four civilians: two children in Quetta, one person in Kohat, and another in Rawalpindi.
“These attacks were aimed at inducing fear in the public and remind us of the terrorist mindset which drives the Afghan Taliban,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. The statement added that while the Afghan Taliban “project victimhood to garner global sympathy,” they “actively target civilians through their terrorist proxies and their drones.”
The information ministry earlier said that the drones belonged to Fitna al-Khawarij, a term used by the state for militants linked to the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) Pakistan. The ministry added that no military or other infrastructure was hit, and only minor damage occurred due to debris. Claims by Afghan officials of successfully striking military installations were dismissed.
Reports quoted security sources that the overnight airstrikes targeted terrorist hideouts and support infrastructure, including camps, logistic bases, and installations linked to the 313 Corps in Kabul. Airfield oil storage sites and adjacent logistics infrastructure were also destroyed.
Pakistan Airports Authority clarified that operations at Islamabad International Airport were not disrupted, calling reports of airspace closure “baseless.”
President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the drone attacks carried out yesterday, describing them as aimed at civilian areas in Pakistan, according to a press release from the president’s media wing.
“The illegitimate regime of Afghanistan, installed by terror and brute force, continues to renege on its commitments not to provide safe sanctuaries to terrorist groups and now has the audacity to provoke a major military power of the Islamic world,” the statement quoted President Zardari as saying.
It added that the Afghan terrorist regime “crossed a red line by attempting to target our civilians” despite Pakistan’s efforts to promote peace and stability in the Gulf region and West Asia, warning that it had brought “grave consequences” on itself.
The ISPR reiterated that Operation Ghazab lil-Haq will continue until the Afghan Taliban address Islamabad’s core concerns regarding terrorism originating from Afghan soil. “Pakistan’s Armed Forces stand steadfast in the fight against terrorism and its manifestations, like the drone attacks by Afghan Taliban,” the statement added.