VISUALS broadcast by state media in the early hours of Friday show Pakistani forces destroying a Taliban position in the Kurram sector. — X / RadioPakistan and PTVNewsOfficial • Govt claims ‘heavy losses inflicted’ on Taliban units that attacked positions in Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur sectors • Offensive dubbed ‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq’; Tarar says two Pakistani soldiers martyred, three injured in line of duty • State media claims 58 Taliban fighters killed, over 100 injured in counterattacks; PAF hits targets in Afghanistan • Civilians in areas along the border injured by Afghan shelling • Those awaiting repatriation at border evacuated to safety; FO says ‘no quarrel’ with ordinary Afghans PESHAWAR: Pakistan’s sec­urity forces swung into action after Afghan Taliban fighters launched unprovoked attacks along the border between both countries under the cover of darkness, the government said on Thursday night. However, they received “an immediate and effective response” from Pakistan’s security forces, the information ministry said in a statement. The action — dubbed ‘Ope­ration Ghazab Lil Haq’ — continued into the early hours of Friday, and by state media reports suggested the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had joined the response, targeting Afghan positions, including an ammunition depot in Nangarhar province, inflicting substantial damage. However, there was no official word from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) until going to press. Authorities in Kabul had claimed launching a large-scale offensive, calling it a response to Pakistani strikes against terrorist hideouts on Afghan soil over the weekend. Islamabad squarely blames Kabul for allowing terrorists aligned with the outlawed TTP and so-called Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) groups to use its soil as a safe haven. Earlier, in its weekly briefing on Thursday, the Foreign Office had said that the strikes against terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan were carried out to pre-empt imminent attacks inside Pakistan, and that utmost caution was exercised to avoid civilian casualties. ‘Heavy casualties inflicted’ According to the information ministry, Pakistani forces had inflicted heavy losses on the Afghan Taliban in the Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur sectors. According to security sources, Afghan Taliban fired at various places on the Pak-Afghan border. A counter-attack saw their positions destroyed, forcing the Afghan fighters to flee, they said. Giving details, sources said that Afghan positions across the border from the Chitral and Bajaur sectors were destroyed, while forces responded with full force to excursions in the Nawagai sector of Bajaur, Tirah in Khyber, Mohmand district and the Arandu sector of Chitral. VISUALS broadcast by state media in the early hours of Friday show a suspected ammunition depot in Nangarhar province, which was reportedly destroyed in a Pakistan Air Force strike.— X / RadioPakistan and PTVNewsOfficial In a late night tweet, Info­rmation Minister Attaullah Tarar said that at least 36 Afghan Taliban attackers had been killed by Pakistani forces. However, subsequent reports by state-run Pakistan Television put the toll at 58. In a post on X, PTV News said over 100 Taliban fighters had been injured, at least 12 Afghan posts had been completely destroyed, while five of their positions had been captured Mr Tarar also said that two Pakistan Army personnel had been martyred, while three were injured, in the line of duty. He accused the Taliban regime of launching attacks in Pakistan’s border regions in defence of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) outlaws, adding that Kabul’s patronage of terrorists had been laid bare for the world to see. The information minister also refuted claims by Afghan and Indian media of killing or capturing dozens of Pakistani soldiers, asserting that the Taliban regime had resorted to “propaganda and lies to cover up its embarrassment”. Ground reports According to reports from areas along the border, Afghan fighters initiated hostilities around Iftar time near Torkham and Landi Kotal. Local sources said that artillery shells were fired from the Afghan side, at least two of which fell in open areas, causing no damage to life or property. In addition, Afghan families cleared by the authorities to return to their country — who were waiting at Zero Point for their departure — had been sent back to the Landi Kotal holding center as the security situation deteriorated at the border crossing point. The Torkham border has been closed since October 12 last year due to the diplomatic row between the two countries. Afghan shelling in Bajaur’s Lowi Mamund tehsil resulted in injuries to five people, including three women. The injured were being treated at DHQ Khar. State-run Pakistan TV also carried visuals from a mosque that was damaged after being targeted by Afghan fire. Witnesses in Mohmand also reported also reported intense fighting, but there was no word on casualties from the area. An exchange of fire was also reported from Kurram and the Angoor Adda border area. No quarrel with ordinary Afghans: FO Earlier, at his weekly media briefing, FO spokesman Tahir Andrabi said that Pakistan’s actions over the weekend “were proportional, based on careful planning with necessary due diligence”. Military officials said the operation destroyed seven terrorist targets and killed between 70 and 80 terrorists. Afghan authorities, however, had alleged civilian casualties and condemned the strikes as a violation of their sovereignty. Responding to questions about civilian harm, Mr Andrabi said the “intelligence-based selective targeting” of these seven terrorist camps and hideouts, located in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region, were “primarily to ensure safety and security of Pakistani citizens and to prevent imminent terrorist attacks against Pakistan, particularly against our law enforcement officials and our civilians living near the border regions,” he said. Addressing bilateral tensions, he said Pakistan’s dispute was not with the Afghan people. “In terms of people-to-people relations, we have nothing against the people of Afghanistan. The contentious issue is the terrorist outfits that operate in Afghanistan, and the official support and impunity being offered to that terrorism. “As regards the people of Afghanistan, we respect them, and we have traditional historic linguistic ties with them. We do not wish any harm to the Afghan people,” he said. Baqir Sajjad Syed in Islamabad, Ismail Khan in Peshawar, and our correspondents in Mohmand, Bajaur, South Waziristan and Khyber also contributed to this report Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2026