KABUL, ISLAMABAD, Feb 27 — Pakistani security forces have initiated a wide-scale military response titled “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq” following a deadly assault on border stations that left 55 soldiers dead. The government confirmed the operation after Afghan forces targeted multiple military installations along the eastern and southeastern frontier on the evening of Feb. 26.
Prime Minister’s spokesperson Mosharraf Zaidi affirmed that the retaliatory measures have resulted in the deaths of 133 Afghan fighters. Reports from the region indicated that 27 Afghan posts were destroyed and nine others were captured as Pakistani forces moved through the districts of Bajaur, Kurram, and Mohmand.
The escalation began when Afghan forces launched a four-hour offensive, claiming it was a necessary reaction to earlier border violations. The Afghan Ministry stated, “A few days ago, the Pakistani military circles violated Afghan territory, breached our borders, and martyred women and children here.”
The ministry affirmed that their forces seized dozens of light and heavy weapons during the capture of 19 Pakistani posts. However, they also reported civilian costs, asserting that 13 individuals were injured in Nangarhar during the subsequent exchange of fire.
In Kabul, spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid declared that the Pakistani response included airstrikes within major urban centers. “The Pakistani military has carried out airstrikes in certain areas of Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia,” Mujahid affirmed, though he noted that no casualties had been confirmed from those specific strikes.
The Afghan administration maintained that the operation was a defense of their sovereignty, particularly regarding the Durand Line. The 2,611 km boundary has remained officially unrecognized by Afghanistan for decades, frequently serving as a flashpoint for regional instability.
