Pakistan launched a major military offensive – under ‘Operation Ghazab lil-Haq’ – against Afghanistan in the early hours of Friday, after months of clashing intermittently over allegations of providing safe haven to groups who Islamabad says attack it.
Pakistan said Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban was launched after “unprovoked firing” from across the border, Pakistani news portal The Dawn reported.
Pakistan bombed major cities in Afghanistan including the capital Kabul on Friday, with Islamabad’s defence minister declaring the neighbours at “open war” following months of tit-for-tat clashes.
What is Operation Ghazab lil-Haq
-Pakistan’s information ministry said Operation ‘Ghazab lil-Haq’ (which loosely translates to “wrath for justice”) was launched Afghan Taliban opened unprovoked firing on multiple locations along the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s in Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur sectors on Thursday evening, according to The Dawn.
-Two security personnel have lost their lives in the ongoing clashes while 133 Afghan Taliban operatives have been killed, the report mentioned.
-State broadcaster PTV News reported that the armed forces of Pakistan carried out air strikes and targeted Afghan Taliban’s important military installations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia. Pakistan Air Force reportedly also destroyed destroyed an ammunition depot in the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.
-Declaring an “open war”, Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif also confirmed that the operation was underway, saying that the armed forces were delivering a strong response to aggression from the Afghan Taliban.
-Asif has said that after the withdrawal of Nato forces, it was expected that there would be peace in Afghanistan and the Taliban would focus on the interests of the Afghan people and peace in the region.
-Asif said that Pakistan has made every effort to maintain normalisation, both directly and through friendly nations. “The forces of Pakistan had given a decisive response to aggression from the Afghan Taliban.” He said that Pakistan’s previous role had been “positive,” highlighting the country’s hosting of Afghan refugees, but noted, “Our patience has run out. Now there is an open war.”
Islamabad accuses the Taliban of giving sanctuary to groups behind escalating attacks, especially the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has carried out a long-running insurgency in Pakistan. Kabul denies this and argues that Pakistan hosts groups targeting Afghanistan and disregards Afghan sovereignty.
