Pakistan’s military announced on Friday that it had launched extensive retaliatory strikes against Afghan Taliban positions after what it described as unprovoked cross-border aggression, terming the Taliban regime as “the master proxy of terrorist proxies operating out of Afghanistan.”
Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, accused the Taliban regime of acting as “the master proxy of terrorist proxies operating out of Afghanistan” and coordinating with militants of Fitna al Khwarij in the latest escalation.
According to the military, Afghan Taliban forces initiated firing in 15 sectors across 27 locations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Pakistani troops repulsed the attacks and launched counterstrikes, destroying more than 73 Taliban posts and 115 tanks.
The army claims 274 Taliban operatives and terrorists were killed and over 400 injured since Thursday night.
Lt Gen Chaudhry confirmed that 12 Pakistani soldiers were martyred, 27 wounded, and one missing in action. Air strikes targeted 22 sites inside Afghanistan, including Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Nangarhar, Khost, and Paktika provinces.
The strikes hit corps, brigade, and battalion headquarters, sector bases, ammunition depots, and logistics facilities.
“All targets were carefully selected based on intelligence to avoid civilian casualties,” Chaudhry said, warning that Pakistan will continue to respond with full force to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
