Pakistan launches Operation Ghazab lil-Haq: 133 Afghan Taliban operatives killed as airstrikes target Kabul and Kandahar

Pakistan has launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban following what it described as “unprovoked aggression” along the Durand Line, sharply escalating cross-border tensions between the two neighbours.

According to Pakistani officials, the operation targeted Taliban defence positions in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia after Afghan forces carried out what Islamabad called a large-scale offensive across the border, during which 27 Taliban posts were destroyed and nine captured. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a post on X around 4 am that 27 Taliban posts were destroyed and nine were seized during the strikes.

Pakistani authorities further claimed that at least 133 Afghan Taliban operatives were killed and more than 200 were injured.

He added that “two corps headquarters, three brigade headquarters, two ammunition depots, one logistics base, three battalion headquarters, two sector headquarters and 80+ tanks, artillery, and APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers) were destroyed”.

Officials said the action was an “immediate and effective response” to cross-border firing. Two Pakistani soldiers were killed, and three were wounded in the clashes, authorities confirmed.

Videos: Pakistani Air Force carries out precise airstrikes in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktika, Afghanistan. (Pakistani Information Minister) pic.twitter.com/fx1CcZ3g0r

— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) February 27, 2026

About Operation Ghazab lil-Haq

Operation Ghazab Lil Haq, which roughly translates to “Wrath for the Sake of Truth,” is a military campaign launched by Pakistan targeting Taliban positions inside Afghanistan amid escalating cross-border tensions.

The offensive, announced by Islamabad after days of heavy clashes along the disputed Durand Line, marks one of the sharpest escalations between the two sides in recent years.

According to Pakistani officials, the operation began on February 26 and combines air power, artillery and ground assaults. Fighter jets from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) reportedly carried out strikes on military sites in Kabul, Kandahar, Nangarhar and Paktika provinces.

Authorities in Islamabad said the strikes targeted brigade and battalion headquarters, ammunition depots, logistics hubs, tanks and artillery units. They claim significant damage was inflicted on Taliban defence infrastructure as part of the coordinated campaign.

Afghan claims 

State broadcaster PTV News reported that the operation was initiated after Kabul claimed its forces had killed 55 Pakistani soldiers in earlier exchanges. Afghanistan’s Deputy Spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said Taliban units had captured 19 Pakistani military outposts and taken control of a headquarters at Anzar Sar in Khost province.

The escalation follows days of mounting hostilities. Pakistan alleges that Afghan Taliban fighters opened fire on multiple locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, prompting retaliatory strikes. Afghan officials, however, said their cross-border assault was in response to Pakistani airstrikes on Sunday that they claim killed civilians, including women and children.

In a statement posted on X, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said: “In response to the repeated rebellions and insurrections of the Pakistani military, large-scale offensive operations were launched against Pakistani military bases and military installations along the Durand Line.”

Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense said the retaliatory campaign began at 8 pm on February 26, corresponding to the 9th of Ramadan 1447, after what it described as a violation of Afghan territory by Pakistan.

“In these retaliatory operations, the mujahideen, with high morale, simultaneously eliminated two garrisons and 19 posts of Pakistani soldiers along the Durand Line in a coordinated manner, and from 4 other posts, their soldiers fled on their own. During the four-hour battle, 55 Pakistani soldiers were killed; the bodies of some were transferred to Afghanistan by the mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate, a number were captured alive, and many others managed to escape,” the ministry said.

Afghan authorities acknowledged casualties on their side, reporting eight Taliban fighters killed and 11 wounded. They also said 13 civilians were injured in a missile strike on a refugee camp in Nangarhar.

Durand Line dispute 

The Durand Line, a disputed colonial-era border, has long been a flashpoint between the two countries. Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of providing sanctuary to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad says has intensified attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in 2025–2026. Kabul denies harbouring militants and rejects the legitimacy of the border.

Recent tensions were triggered by Pakistani airstrikes on February 21 targeting alleged TTP and ISIS-K camps inside Afghanistan. The Taliban responded with what they described as a large-scale border offensive, leading Islamabad to announce Operation Ghazab lil-Haq.

With heavy shelling reported near the Torkham crossing and clashes near Spin Boldak, fears are growing that localized fighting could widen into a broader confrontation as both sides trade sharply conflicting casualty figures and accusations.