Operation Ghazab lil-Haq: What We know About Pakistan-Afghanistan Tensions
Pakistan launched a series of bombing raids on Afghanistan in the early hours of Friday morning, striking targets in Kabul and in border provinces.
Operation Ghazab Lil Haq was launched by the Pakistani military against Afghanistan in the early hours of Friday, February 27th. Several major Afghan cities have been bombed, leading to massive loss of lives and destruction to property.
Pakistan launched a major military offensive - under Operation ‘Ghazab lil-Haq’ against Afghanistan in the early hours of Friday, after reports of months of clashes and cross-border fights between the Pakistani army and Taliban forces. There are also allegations against the Taliban of providing a safe haven to groups that Islamabad says have attacked it during this strike.
Pakistan's information ministry said Operation ‘Ghazab lil-Haq’ (which loosely translates to “wrath for justice”) was launched to attack groups within Afghanistan that have allegedly conducted cross-border terrorism in Pakistan soil. Pakistan has also repeatedly blamed the Afghan regime for harbouring terrorist (like the Tehreek-e-Taliban) groups that conduct attacks and acts of terrorism in Pakistan. Before this attack, there were months of clashes between the Pakistani army and the Afghan Taliban over allegations of cross-border terrorism.
This military operation was launched after reports of the Afghan Taliban being involved in unprovoked firing on multiple locations along the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram, and Bajaur sectors on Thursday evening, according to The Dawn (Pakistan media house).
The escalation follows claims by the Taliban-led Afghan government had seized more than 19 posts of the Pakistani military and had captured a major headquarters at Anzar Sar in Khost Province. Afghanistan’s Deputy Spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat wrote on a post on X, “heavy retaliatory offensive operations” were launched along the so-called Durand Line by the 203 Mansouri corps and the 201 Khalid bin Walid corps.” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the offensive was in response to repeated Pakistani assaults. “Extensive offensive operations have begun against Pakistani army centers and military facilities across the Durand Line.”
Islamabad had rejected Kabul’s casualty figures. Information Minister of Pakistan, Ataullah Tarar, said that two Pakistani soldiers were killed and three were wounded. And also claimed that the Pakistani army had successfully killed more than 36 Afghan soldiers.
The Pakistan government and army claim it has targeted terrorist military training camps. Meanwhile, the Afghan Government has accused the Pakistani military of targeting civilians and local madrassas, places of worship, and public property. Innocent women, children, and civilians have been victims of these airstrikes.
The Afghan Minister of Internal Affairs, Sirajuddin Haqqani, gave out a statement, “The final ultimatums are over, and now a befitting reply shall be given to Pakistan.” He also gave a statement saying, “There would be no traces of Pakistan left.”
The military operation has allegedly killed more than 133 people and left more than 200 injured. The Afghan government has alleged that a large number of the deceased victims were women and children, and also that these strikes have inflicted heavy losses on property and have targeted places of worship. Following the military operation, border skirmishes have increased along the Durand Line. The situation between the two nations remains uncertain and increasingly hostile.
This article was written by Sathvik AVP, a student of Loyola Academy, Secunderabad, interning with Deccan Chronicle.
