Number of Afghan Taliban killed in ‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq’ hits 415: Tarar

Information minister says forces destroyed 182 posts, with air strikes carried out at 46 locations inside Afghanistan

An army soldier stands guard at a deserted entry point at the Friendship Gate, following the exchanges of fire between Pakistan and Afghanistan forces, at the border crossing between the two countries, in Chaman, Pakistan February 27, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Abdul Khaliq Achakzai

Security forces have killed 415 Afghan Taliban in a major military operation launched in response to “unprovoked cross-border attacks” from Afghanistan, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Sunday.

‘Operation Ghazab-Lil-Haq’ was launched late on Thursday following renewed clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Operation is ongoing and will continue until all objectives are achieved, sources confirmed. The Pakistani armed forces remain fully committed to defending national security and responding decisively to any unprovoked aggression, they added.

In a statement posted on X, Tarar said that as of 4pm on Sunday, at least 415 Afghan Taliban terrorists had been killed, with more than 580 injured.

He added that 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, the minister said.

The latest escalation follows a series of tit-for-tat actions over the past year.

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

The federal government has been consistently raising its voice on international forums against terrorist sanctuaries operating in Afghanistan and using its soil to launch attacks on Pakistan — a development attested to by the United Nations Security Council.

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

Immediately following the blast, raids were conducted in Nowshera and Peshawar, resulting in the arrest of four facilitators. The Daesh-linked mastermind, an Afghan national, was also captured. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated that the network behind the blast was trained in Afghanistan and that authorities had gathered intelligence on the suspects prior to the attack.

Russia, China and Iran called for restraint and dialogue on Friday as the airstrike escalated between Pakistan and Afghanistan following Pakistani airstrikes and the seizure of border posts.

Russia urged both sides to immediately halt cross-border attacks and resolve their differences through diplomatic means, the RIA news agency reported, citing the foreign ministry. The ministry said Moscow would consider providing mediation if requested by both parties.

Read More: Pakistan continues decisive strikes on Afghan Taliban under ‘Operation Ghazab Lil Haq’

Iran offered to help “facilitate dialogue” after Islamabad declared “open war” on the Taliban government and carried out airstrikes on Kabul following border clashes.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran stands ready to provide any assistance necessary to facilitate dialogue and to enhance understanding and cooperation between the two countries,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X.

China said it was “deeply concerned” by the fighting and called for a ceasefire.

China “calls on both sides to remain calm and exercise restraint…achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible, and avoid further bloodshed”, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing.

The foreign ministry and China’s embassies in Pakistan and Afghanistan were “working with relevant parties in both countries on this matter,” she added.


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