Pakistan military strikes terrorist targets in Afghanistan overnight
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Pakistani forces strike Afghan Taliban’s military installations in Kabul, Nangarhar: info minister
BEIJING/PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD: Pakistani forces targeted the Afghan Taliban’s military installations in Kabul and Nangarhar on Monday night, the government said, as Islamabad pressed on with Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. The operation was launched on the night of February 26, following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. Security sources had reported the development late on Monday night, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirming the military action early on Tuesday. In a post on X, he said the armed forces “successfully carried out precision airstrikes” as part of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, targeting “Afghan Taliban regime terrorism-sponsoring military installations in Kabul and Nangarhar”. “Technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage facilities at two locations in Kabul were effectively destroyed,” Tarar said, stressing that the “visible secondary detonations after the strikes clearly indicate the presence of large ammunition depots”. In the Afghan province of Nangarhar, Pakistani forces “struck four Afghan Taliban regime terrorism sponsoring military sites, destroying associated logistics, ammunition, and technical infrastructure”, the minister said. “All targeting has been done with precision only at those infrastructures which are being used by Afghan Taliban regime to support its multiple terror proxies, including Fitna Al Khawarij and Fitna Al Hindustan, as can be clearly seen in accompanied footage,” Tarar stated, sharing a video of the said strikes. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Fitna al Hindustan is a term designated by the state for terrorist organisations in Balochistan. “False claims made by the propagandists Taliban regime cannot befool the Afghans and the world from their heinous actions supporting and sponsoring terrorism in the region,” Tarar asserted. The minister reaffirmed that “operations under Ghazab lil-Haq to safeguard Pakistani citizens against terrorism waged by Master Terror Proxy will continue until the desired objectives are fully achieved”. Earlier on Monday night, security sources had also said that a drone assembly workshop, “headquarters from where drones were sent”, and weapon stocks were destroyed in Nangarhar and Kabul. According to the sources, drones were prepared at those workshops using parts made in India and Israel. In updates shared around midnight, the security sources said the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) was conducting operations in Kabul and Nangarhar. Six targets had been successfully targeted in Kabul and Nangarhar, they said, adding that there were also reports of several terrorists having been killed. Separately, the information ministry dismissed a claim by the Afghan Taliban spokesperson that a drug rehabilitation hospital had been targeted in Kabul. The “claim of this discredited so-called spokesperson of the Taliban regime is another misreporting of facts aimed at misleading public opinion”, the ministry said in a post on X. It stated: “On the night of March 16, Pakistan precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure, including technical equipment storage and ammunition storage of Afghan Taliban and Fitna al Khawarij in Kabul and Nangarhar that were being used against innocent Pakistani civilians. “Post-strike detonation of stored ammunition being used by the master terror proxy also fully contradicts the fake claim,” the ministry noted. It added: “Pakistan’s targeting is precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage is inflicted. This misreporting of facts … seeks to stir sentiments, covering illegitimate support to cross-border terrorism. The statement is rejected as being false and misleading.” The recent development comes after the armed forces carried out overnight strikes over the weekend in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, destroying “technical support infrastructure and an equipment storage facility”. Tarar had also confirmed that military action, adding that a tunnel used by terrorists was also destroyed. Operation activities in Kurram, Bajaur sector During separate actions on Monday, the armed forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram sector targeted and destroyed important Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij hideouts, security sources said. “During these operations, several khawarij were killed while the rest managed to escape,” a security source said. The armed forces also destroyed Afghan Taliban posts across the Pak-Afghan border in KP’s Bajaur sector, security sources said. The forces targeted Afghan Taliban posts with “guided missiles”. Earlier on Sunday, Tarar had said that four civilians were killed and a child was injured after the Afghan Taliban “deliberately targeted the civilian population through artillery/mortar fire from across the border” in KP’s Bajaur district. FO dismisses reports regarding China’s offer Moreover, the Foreign Office (FO) on Monday also dismissed reports that Pakistan had declined China’s push for talks with the Afghan Taliban, saying that “any unnecessary speculation or fabrication of facts in this regard is unwarranted”. The statement from the FO spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, came in response to queries about media reports that claimed Pakistan had declined China’s offer. “Pakistan and China remain trusted partners and close friends, and both maintain regular and close communication on all issues of mutual concern and shared interest. “Therefore, any unnecessary speculation or fabrication of facts in this regard is unwarranted,” he said. China had reiterated its offer to continue efforts to ease ongoing border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. “The most urgent task is to avoid the expansion of the war and return the two countries to the negotiating table as soon as possible,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said. “China is willing to continue to make efforts to achieve reconciliation and ease relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he said, adding that Beijing has been mediating between both sides in recent days. The remarks come days after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi in a phone call that disputes between Islamabad and Kabul should be resolved through dialogue and consultation, not force. There has been a resurgence in terrorism in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded. 2 killed in Bannu; attack on police post foiled At least two individuals in separate suspected militant-related incidents were abducted and later killed in KP’s Bannu district, sources said on Monday. In the first incident, which occurred in Bannu’s Domel tehsil, armed men abducted a well-known figure identified as Malik Nabiullah along with three other people, who were later released. However, Nabiullah was taken to an unknown location and shot dead. His body was later recovered from the area, sources said. Meanwhile, in Bannu’s Bakakhel area near the Tochi Bridge, unknown armed men abducted a young man, identified as Shazeb Khan, from his village late on Sunday. He was later killed, with his body left along the roadside. Investigation was underway in both cases, according to sources. Elsewhere in Bannu, a suspected militant attack on the Fatah Khel police post was thwarted, police sources said. According to police sources, officers detected suspicious movement via thermal cameras, after which they immediately opened fire. The militants fled the scene following the retaliatory firing. Police officials stated that the vigilance and timely response of the personnel prevented a potentially major attack. The Bannu district has been the scene of repeated security incidents in recent months, with both civilians and local security actors coming under attack, prompting targeted operations. On Friday, one attacker was killed while a police constable was injured after terrorists attacked a checkpost guarding a camp of the internally displaced persons in Bannu’s Bakakhel area. Last month, militants raided a mosque and abducted three brothers, two of whom were police personnel and were later killed. Additional reporting by Muhammad Waseem Khan
DawnMarch 17, 2026 at 08:02 AM UTCPakistani forces strike Afghan Taliban’s military installations in Kabul, Nangarhar: security sources
BEIJING/PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD: Pakistani forces targeted the Afghan Taliban’s military installations on Monday night, security sources said, as Islamabad pressed on with Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. The operation was launched on the night of February 26, following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. Security sources said that during the strikes on Monday night, Pakistani forces destroyed the technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage at two locations in Kabul. In the Afghan province of Nangarhar, the sources said, Pakistani forces targeted Afghan Taliban’s military installations at four spots. Logistics, ammunition and technical infrastructure adjacent to these installations were also destroyed, the sources added. They further said a drone assembly workshop, “headquarters from where drones were sent” and weapon stocks were also destroyed in Nangarhar and Kabul. According to the sources, drones were prepared at those workshops using parts made in India and Israel. In updates shared around midnight, the sources said the Pakistan Air Force was continuing operations in Kabul and Nangarhar. Six targets had been successfully targeted in Kabul and Nangarhar, they said, adding that there were also reports of several terrorists having been killed. Earlier, the armed forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram sector targeted and destroyed important Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij hideouts, security sources said. “During these operations, several khawarij were killed while the rest managed to escape,” a security source said. Fitna al-Khawarij is a term the state uses to refer to the banned TTP. The armed forces also destroyed Afghan Taliban posts across the Pak-Afghan border in KP’s Bajaur sector, security sources said. The forces targeted Afghan Taliban posts with “guided missiles”. On Sunday morning, security sources said that armed forces carried out overnight strikes in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, destroying “technical support infrastructure and an equipment storage facility”. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed the military action, adding that a tunnel used by terrorists was also destroyed. Later in the day, Tarar said that four civilians were killed and a child was injured after the Afghan Taliban “deliberately targeted the civilian population through artillery/mortar fire from across the border” in KP’s Bajaur district. Separately, the information ministry dismissed a claim by the Afghan Taliban spokesperson that a drug rehabilitation hospital had been targeted in Kabul. The “claim of this discredited so-called spokesperson of the Taliban regime is another misreporting of facts aimed at misleading public opinion”, the ministry said in a post on X. It added: “On the night of March 16, Pakistan precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure, including technical equipment storage and ammunition storage of Afghan Taliban and Fitna al Khawarij in Kabul and Nangarhar that were being used against innocent Pakistani civilians. Post-strike detonation of stored ammunition being used by the master terror proxy also fully contradicts the fake claim. “Pakistan’s targeting is precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage is inflicted. This misreporting of facts … seeks to stir sentiments, covering illegitimate support to cross-border terrorism. The statement is rejected as being false and misleading.” FO dismisses reports Moreover, the Foreign Office (FO) on Monday also dismissed reports that Pakistan had declined China’s push for talks with the Afghan Taliban, saying that “any unnecessary speculation or fabrication of facts in this regard is unwarranted”. The statement from the FO spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, came in response to queries about media reports that claimed Pakistan had declined China’s offer. “Pakistan and China remain trusted partners and close friends, and both maintain regular and close communication on all issues of mutual concern and shared interest. “Therefore, any unnecessary speculation or fabrication of facts in this regard is unwarranted,” he said. Earlier on Monday, China reiterated its offer to continue efforts to ease ongoing border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. “The most urgent task is to avoid the expansion of the war and return the two countries to the negotiating table as soon as possible,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said. “China is willing to continue to make efforts to achieve reconciliation and ease relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he said, adding that Beijing has been mediating between both sides in recent days. The remarks come days after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi in a phone call that disputes between Islamabad and Kabul should be resolved through dialogue and consultation, not force. There has been a resurgence in terrorism in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded. 2 killed in Bannu; attack on police post foiled At least two individuals in separate suspected militant-related incidents were abducted and later killed in KP’s Bannu district, sources said on Monday. In the first incident, which occurred in Bannu’s Domel tehsil, armed men abducted a well-known figure identified as Malik Nabiullah along with three other people, who were later released. However, Nabiullah was taken to an unknown location and shot dead. His body was later recovered from the area, sources said. Meanwhile, in Bannu’s Bakakhel area near the Tochi Bridge, unknown armed men abducted a young man, identified as Shazeb Khan, from his village late on Sunday. He was later killed, with his body left along the roadside. Investigation was underway in both cases, according to sources. Elsewhere in Bannu, a suspected militant attack on the Fatah Khel police post was thwarted, police sources said. According to police sources, officers detected suspicious movement via thermal cameras, after which they immediately opened fire. The militants fled the scene following the retaliatory firing. Police officials stated that the vigilance and timely response of the personnel prevented a potentially major attack. The Bannu district has been the scene of repeated security incidents in recent months, with both civilians and local security actors coming under attack, prompting targeted operations. On Friday, one attacker was killed while a police constable was injured after terrorists attacked a checkpost guarding a camp of the internally displaced persons in Bannu’s Bakakhel area. Last month, militants raided a mosque and abducted three brothers, two of whom were police personnel and were later killed. Additional reporting by Muhammad Waseem Khan
DawnMarch 16, 2026 at 09:12 PM UTCOvernight strikes in Afghanistan’s Kandahar target ‘terrorist hideouts and military infrastructure’, says state media
The Pakistan military carried out overnight strikes in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, targeting “terrorist hideouts and military infrastructure,” as the military continues its operation against the Afghan Taliban, state-run Pakistan TV reported on Sunday, citing security sources. Operation Ghazab lil-Haq was launched in late February following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. According to Pakistan TV, the strikes “targeted facilities used by the Afghan Taliban and affiliated terrorist groups to support attacks against Pakistani civilians”. “Pakistan armed forces have successfully targeted military installations, including terrorist hideouts of Afghan Taliban and Fitna al-Khawarij,” Pakistan TV quoted the security sources as saying. Fitna al-Khawarij is a term the state uses to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The outlet said that the armed forces destroyed “technical support infrastructure and an equipment storage facility in Kandahar”, which, as per security sources, was being used to “facilitate cross-border terrorist activities”. In another strike, the armed forces targeted a tunnel in Kandahar “that housed technical equipment used by the Afghan Taliban and Fitna al Khawarij,” as per security sources. “Operations under Operation Ghazab lil Haq will continue until attainment of objectives,” Pakistan TV quoted security sources as saying. The development comes as at least four people, including two children, were injured when the Afghan Taliban launched a “few rudimentary” drones on late Friday evening. Earlier on Friday, in a post on X, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that Pakistan had successfully targeted 70 terrorist-affiliated installations in Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar, including logistic bases and camps that “directly or indirectly support terrorism from inside Afghanistan”. A video posted by the minister alongside his statement appeared to show footage of several Afghan positions being hit, including the Tarawo terrorist camp in Kandahar and the Sher-e-Nau terrorist camp in Paktia province. In addition, air strikes also targeted fuel storage sites near Kandahar airfield and the 313 Corps ammunition dump in Kabul. Giving updates on Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, the information minister said the country’s armed forces had killed 663 Afghan Taliban operatives and injured more than 887.
DawnMarch 15, 2026 at 07:45 AM UTCInfo minister says Pakistan targeted terrorists, support infrastructure in Afghanistan overnight
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Friday that Pakistan successfully targeted terrorist affiliated locations in Afghanistan overnight. In a post on X, he said, “It is pertinent to mention that on the night of 12/13 March 2026, Pakistan successfully targeted terrorists’ affiliated installations in Afghanistan.“ He said that terrorists and their support infrastructure, including logistic bases, and camps, were targeted. His post also showed the strikes, with the minister saying that Pakistan “precisely targeted only those installations which directly/indirectly support terrorism from inside Afghanistan and terrorist camps”. “No civilian population or civilian infrastructures were targeted as falsely propagated by Afghan regime officials and media,” he asserted. The statement by the minister came hours after security sources said that in overnight strikes against terrorists and Afghan Taliban targets, the armed forces destroyed training camps and support infrastructure in Afghanistan. “Pakistan’s Armed Forces have carried out successful airstrikes inside Afghanistan as part of the ongoing Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,” confirmed security sources. According to security sources, the headquarters of the Afghan Taliban 313 Corps in Kabul, along with its associated infrastructure and an ammunition depot, were destroyed. In Kandahar, the Tarawo terrorist training camp was struck along with an oil storage facility. The armed forces also carried out strikes against the Sher-e-Nau terrorist camp, located in the Paktia province, added the security sources. According to the sources, Pakistani forces shot down three drones of Fitna al-Khawarij using electronic warfare. Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The development comes as Pakistan continues with Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, which was launched in late February following unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban from across the border. In his X post on Friday, the information minister also provided an update on Afghan losses, saying that 663 Afghan Taliban operatives had been killed and more than 887 injured during Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. He said that 249 check posts had been destroyed, while 44 posts were captured. He added that 224 tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery guns had been destroyed, while 70 terrorists and terrorist support infrastructure locations across Afghanistan were effectively targeted by air. Souring relations There has been a resurgence in terrorism in Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban administration to dismantle terrorist sanctuaries on Afghan soil, particularly those linked to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Officials say those appeals have gone unheeded. Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan heightened once again after the Feb 16 vehicle-borne suicide attack on a joint security forces post in Bajaur district near the Afghan border. Terrorists belonging to the TTP attempted to breach the Malangi check post and rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into its perimeter wall after an exchange of fire. Eleven Pakistani soldiers were martyred. A young girl also died, and seven others, including women and children, were injured when a nearby residential building was damaged in the blast. Investigators said the suicide bomber, identified as Amad, alias Qari Abdullah or Abu Zar, was a member of the Afghan Taliban’s special forces from Balkh province. The TTP claimed responsibility for the assault. Then, on Feb 21, a lieutenant colonel and a sepoy were martyred in a suicide attack during an intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district. In its statement, the military reiterated that terrorists were “using Afghan soil” for carrying out attacks inside Pakistan, “violating the sanctity of the holy month of Ramazan”. “Pakistan will not exercise any restrain and operations would continue against the perpetrators of this heinous and cowardly act for justified retribution against khwarij, irrespective of their location,” the ISPR asserted. On Feb 19, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had warned that Pakistan would not hesitate to conduct strikes inside Afghanistan if attacks continued from across the border, saying military options remained viable. In November last year, Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, had claimed that Pakistan had “bombed” Khost province, and carried out air strikes in Kunar and Paktika provinces. At the time, Pakistan had neither confirmed nor denied the strikes, which were reported the same day a deadly suicide attack on the Federal Constabulary headquarters saw three personnel embrace martyrdom and 12 sustain injuries. The strikes were reported almost a month after deadly border clashes at the Pak-Afghan border had resulted in the martyrdom of 23 Pakistani soldiers and the killing of over 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists, according to the ISPR. The skirmishes began “on the night of Oct 11/12, 2025, [after] Afghan Taliban and India-sponsored Fitna-al-Khawarij launched an unprovoked attack on Pakistan, along the Pak-Afghan border”.
DawnMarch 13, 2026 at 12:40 PM UTC