ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security sources confirmed on Thursday that several mid-level leaders of the banned terrorist outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also referred to by authorities as Fitna al-Khawarij, were killed during Pakistani military strikes carried out under Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq.
Officials said the strikes targeted terrorist infrastructure linked to groups operating across the border.
The operations form part of a wider campaign to dismantle networks responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
While the identities of those killed have not yet been disclosed, security sources said the terrorist leadership suffered significant losses.
Authorities also alleged that elements of the Afghan Taliban have been involved in supporting terrorist activity targeting Pakistan.
Officials emphasised that the operations are aimed exclusively at armed groups and do not target civilians or the Afghan population.
“Our strategy focuses solely on terrorist hideouts, not civilians,” security sources stated, adding that these precision operations are based on intelligence and designed to disrupt cross-border attacks and dismantle terrorist infrastructure.
Over 50 airstrikes conducted
Security officials reported that more than 50 airstrikes have been carried out against positions associated with TTP and affiliated Afghan Taliban elements.
Between the night of March 4 and March 5, Pakistani forces targeted 41 locations linked to terrorist activity near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, including Chaman, Zhob, Killa Saifullah, and Nushki.
The strikes caused casualties among terrorist fighters and destroyed several facilities used for planning and logistics.
Full details of losses are yet to be confirmed. Officials stressed that the operations were carried out after intelligence reports identified terrorist hideouts and bases used to coordinate attacks inside Pakistan.
Kandahar Corps HQ among key targets
Security sources added that Pakistani forces successfully destroyed the headquarters of the 205 Corps Brigade of the Afghan Taliban in Kandahar.
Several ammunition depots were also targeted, significantly weakening the terrorists’ operational capabilities and their ability to carry out future attacks.
Officials confirmed that all strikes were precision-based, targeting strategic locations identified through intelligence assessments.
The military campaign under Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq is ongoing, with security authorities stating that further actions will be taken as necessary against designated terrorist targets in the region.
Afghanistan a ‘Playground’ for major powers
Afghanistan has effectively become a “master proxy” in the regional security landscape, hosting and patronising multiple terrorist organisations, security sources said.
Commenting on the broader regional dynamics, the sources noted that while Afghanistan has long been described as the “graveyard of empires,” in reality, it has functioned as a “playing ground” where major powers advance their strategic interests.
The sources emphasised that Pakistan has no intention of occupying Afghanistan.
Its sole demand is that Afghan territory not be used to launch terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
