415 Afghan fighters killed, 182 checkposts destroyed as Operation Ghazab lil-Haq rages on: Tarar

• Information Minster says operation ongoing after unprovoked cross-border action by Afghan Taliban

• Says 415 Afghan Taliban fighters killed, over 580 wounded since Thursday

• Pakistan destroys 182 posts, captures 31, disables 185 tanks and APCs; 46 airstrike locations hit

 ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said on Sunday that Operation Ghazab lil-Haq was continuing, saying that 415 Afghan Taliban fighters have been killed and more than 580 wounded since the latest phase of hostilities between the two neighbours began on Thursday.

Sharing an update in a statement posted on X, the minister said that as of 4pm on Sunday, at least 415 Afghan Taliban terrorists had been killed, while over 580 had sustained injuries.

He said Pakistani forces had destroyed 182 Taliban posts, captured 31 others, and disabled 185 tanks and armoured personnel carriers. “Air strikes were carried out at 46 locations inside Afghanistan,” Tarar added.

Security sources confirmed that Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, launched following “unprovoked action” from across the border, was ongoing and would continue until all objectives were achieved. They said the Pakistani armed forces remain fully committed to defending national security and responding decisively to any unprovoked aggression.

State media reported that Pakistan’s army had taken control of an Afghan Taliban military post along the border in northwestern Pakistan. It shared footage of Pakistani soldiers crossing into Afghanistan from the North Waziristan area to capture the Afghan post on the other side of the border.

Last week, Pakistan carried out air strikes targeting camps of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) inside Afghanistan following a wave of terrorist attacks in the country, including a suicide bombing in Islamabad. Security sources said more than 80 terrorists were killed in those strikes.

The federal government has consistently raised concerns at international forums regarding terrorist sanctuaries operating in Afghanistan and the use of Afghan soil for attacks against Pakistan — a development, officials say, has been acknowledged by the United Nations Security Council.

Earlier this month, a suicide bomber struck Imambargah Khadijahtul Kubra during Friday prayers in Islamabad, killing 36 people and injuring around 169 others. The attack was the deadliest in the federal capital in more than a decade and the most lethal nationwide since the Peshawar mosque bombing in January 2023.

Immediately after the blast, raids were conducted in Nowshera and Peshawar, leading to the arrest of four facilitators. Authorities also apprehended the Daesh-linked mastermind, an Afghan national. Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi said the network behind the attack had been trained in Afghanistan and that intelligence on the suspects had been gathered prior to the bombing.

In a further update, security sources said that on February 28, Pakistani troops crossed the border fence near North Waziristan in broad daylight and advanced towards what was described as an Afghan Taliban central post inside Afghan territory. Afghan fighters reportedly fled upon the approach of Pakistani forces.

The Pakistani military subsequently took control of the post, cleared surrounding compounds during what was described as a “full-scale retaliatory action”, and removed flags hoisted by the opposing side. Sources said the operation remains ongoing, with forces continuing to consolidate their positions.

39 schools in Bajaur to remain closed

Meanwhile, authorities in Bajaur tribal district announced that 39 public sector schools in border areas will remain closed until further orders due to the prevailing security situation.

According to a notification issued after a meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali Khan, schools located in Lowi Mamund, War Mamund, and Nawagai tehsils will remain closed until further notice. The decision comes as all public sector educational institutions in Bajaur, including schools and colleges, were scheduled to reopen on Monday following winter vacations.

Drone crashes into govt school in Mohmand

Separately, officials said an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed into a government school building in Ghalanai, the district headquarters of Mohmand, as tensions persisted along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border amid reports of artillery fire and aerial activity.

No casualties were reported, and officials said the incident caused no significant structural damage. Security around the school was immediately tightened and the area cordoned off for inspection.

The drone struck a ventilator of a classroom at the Governor Model High School, located within the Ghalanai district headquarters compound near the deputy commissioner’s residence. Debris from the UAV was found in the school’s veranda.

Confirming the incident, Mohmand Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Yasir Hassan said security forces were attempting to shoot down another drone detected in the area’s airspace.

High-level meeting reviews security situation

Earlier in the day, a high-level meeting to review Pakistan’s regional and internal security situation was held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

The meeting reviewed the prevailing regional environment, internal security dynamics, and Pakistan’s role and measures aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region. The situation in Afghanistan and arrangements to maintain law and order within the country were also discussed.

President urges restraint in Holi celebrations

Meanwhile, in view of the prevailing regional and international security situation, President Asif Ali Zardari urged the Hindu community in Pakistan to celebrate Holi in a simple and restrained manner this year.

In a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat, he said that while Pakistan takes pride in its religious and cultural diversity, the current circumstances call for moderation. He appealed for public festivities and large gatherings to be toned down in the interest of security and national cohesion.