New Delhi, Feb 27 (UNI) Amid escalating confrontation with Afghanistan’s Taliban government, Pakistan declared “open war” against Afghanistan, launching Operation Ghazab lil-Haq (wrath of justice), with state broadcaster PTV News reporting that the armed forces of Pakistan early Friday carried out air strikes and targeted important military installations in Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia.
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif escalated the rhetoric, declaring an “all-out confrontation” with the Taliban government. Khawaja Asif said on his X handle that “our patience has reached its limit,” warning that it was now an “open war” between the two sides.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the armed forces have the capability to “crush any aggressive ambitions.”
“Pakistan will not compromise on peace and territorial integrity”, said Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday after “retaliatory strikes” against Afghanistan, killing over 130 Taliban fighters.
The strikes, under Operation ‘Ghazab lil-Haq’, were carried out in the early hours of Friday, Pakistan said, in response to the “unprovoked firing on multiple locations along the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s in Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur sectors on Thursday evening” by Afghanistan’s Taliban, Dawn reported.
Media reports cited explosions and gunfire in Kabul and Kandahar. The Ministry of National Defence of Afghanistan said 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory operations carried out along the Durand Line on Thursday.
The over 2,500-km border – known as Durand Line – has never been recognised by Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the X handle ‘Afghanistan Defence’ shared a video showing the wreckage of a burning F-16. The US-supplied single-engine fighter jet has a small Pakistani flag painted on it. The numbers ‘85510’ are visible near the exhaust. The visual could not be independently confirmed.
Doha-based Al Jazeera news outlet said the Afghan side started attacking several Pakistani military posts along a wide stretch of the border, including at Torkham border crossing, a major border crossing into Afghanistan.
“The airstrikes took place in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, as well as Paktia province and Kandahar province,” said Al Jazeera, citing Pakistan claims that said dozens of Taliban fighters were killed on the other side of the border.
“In those strikes, two brigade headquarters have been destroyed in Kabul while one corp headquarters and one brigade headquarters have been destroyed in Kandahar”, the state broadcaster PTV News reported.
Pakistan blames the Afghan Taliban authorities for harbouring the Pakistani Taliban rebels in growing insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. Taliban’s ally, the Pakistani Taliban, has solidified its position as Pakistan’s main enemy.
Last week India strongly condemned Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory that resulted in civilian casualties. New Delhi described the strikes as another attempt by Pakistan to “externalise its internal failures”, and reiterated its support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“India strongly condemns Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan territory that have resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children, during the holy month of Ramadan,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
