ISLAMABAD: Four civilians were killed and a five-year-old child was critically injured after mortar shells fired by the Afghan Taliban terrorists from across the Pakistan–Afghanistan border struck a residential area in north-western Pakistan, the government said.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the shells were fired by the Afghan Taliban into the Salarzai area of Bajaur District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday afternoon.
The Taliban attack struck a house in the village of Tabesta Letai at around 3:30pm, killing four brothers identified as Sajid, Ayaz, Riaz and Muaz, the minister said in a statement posted on social media.
“One five-year-old child was also seriously injured when the house was hit in the attack,” Tarar said.
✅ 15 March 2026
Attack on innocent civilians by Afghan Taliban Regime in Bajaur
▪️ Today on 15th of March 2026 around 1530 hours, Afghan Taliban regime deliberately targeted civilian population through artillery / mortar fire from across the border in Tabesta Letai, Salarzai… pic.twitter.com/M8PdBra2eN
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) March 15, 2026
Pakistan vows “aggressive response”
Minister Tarar said Pakistan’s armed forces had launched retaliatory action against positions linked to the Afghan Taliban terrorists.
“A befitting and aggressive response is being given to Afghan Taliban regime positions and infrastructure responsible for this dastardly act,” he said.
He said that Taliban deliberately targeted civilians and the attack was carried out in coordination with terrorists belonging to banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which the state refers to as Fitna al-Khawarij.
“This cowardly and heinous deliberate targeting of civilians by the Afghan Taliban regime, in cohorts with terrorists organisation Fitna al-Khawarij, is a grievous violation of international law and basic human values,” Tarar said.
He added that the attack reflected “frustration and desperation” on the part of terrorist groups following setbacks inflicted by Pakistani security forces.
🚨 Cowardly Cross-Border Strike: Afghan Mortar Hits Civilian House, Four Martyred in Bajaur
In a tragic escalation along the Pakistan–Afghanistan frontier, Afghan forces launched a mortar attack on a civilian area in Laiti (Tari Pasha), located in the Salarzai tehsil of Bajaur,… https://t.co/YiawxQ26wk pic.twitter.com/ttcATuhP8U
— Eagle Eye (@zarrar_11PK) March 15, 2026
Local police confirmed that residents rushed to the damaged house shortly after the attack and retrieved the bodies of the victims and the injured child from the rubble.
District police spokesperson Israr Khan said officers from Salarzai police station visited the site, inspected the damaged building and collected evidence.
Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq
Pakistan’s military launched retaliatory Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq in late February after unprovoked attacks by Afghan Taliban terrorists across the border.
Tarar, earlier in a statement, said that Pakistani forces carried out overnight strikes on March 14–15 targeting terrorist facilities in Kandahar province.
State-run Pakistan Television Corporation, citing security sources, said the strikes hit “terrorist hideouts and military infrastructure” used by Afghan Taliban and allied terrorist groups to plan cross-border attacks.
The operations destroyed a tunnel, technical support infrastructure and an equipment storage facility used to support terrorist activity against Pakistan, the sources said.
Tarar said the strikes were “precision engagements” targeting terrorist installations and did not hit civilian areas, rejecting “false propaganda” from Afghan Taliban.
684 Afghan Taliban terrorists killed
Providing an update on the operation, the information minister said Pakistani forces had inflicted heavy losses on Afghan Taliban and allied terrorist groups.
According to Tarar, 684 Afghan Taliban terrorists have been killed and more than 912 injured since the operation began.
He said 252 terrorist posts had been destroyed while 44 others were captured.
✅Operation Ghazb-lil-Haq
✅Update 1600 hours 15 March✅Summary of Fitna Al Khawarij / Afghan Taliban losses
▪️684 Killed,
▪️912+ Injured
▪️252 Posts destroyed
▪️44 Posts captured and destroyed
▪️229 tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery guns destroyed
▪️73 terrorists and… pic.twitter.com/Q2D3KNJpfi— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) March 15, 2026
The minister also said that 229 tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery guns had been destroyed during the operation, while 73 terrorist sites across Afghanistan had been targeted through air strikes.
Security sources added that a “terrorist jump-off point” at the Badini post was destroyed by Pakistani ground forces from positions in Chitral, using heavy and light weapons as well as quadcopters.
Pakistan's Armed Forces continue their effective operations against #AfghanTaliban and Fitna al-Khwarij under #OperationGhazabLilHaq@OfficialDGISPR #RadioPakistan #news https://t.co/0ueK8IRjlU pic.twitter.com/1X7rWd1HyU
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) March 15, 2026
“Operation Ghazab lil-Haq is ongoing and will continue until its objectives are achieved,” a security source said.
Residents in Bajaur condemned the mortar attack by the Afghan Taliban and expressed anger over the killing of civilians.
