What Is Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq And Why Has Pakistan Launched Strikes In Afghanistan?

Pakistan launched a large-scale military operation named ‘Ghazab lil-Haq’ against Afghanistan on Thursday night, after months of clashing intermittently over allegations of providing safe haven to groups who Islamabad says attack it.

Islamabad said the operation was triggered by “unprovoked firing” from Afghan Taliban positions along the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border, while Taliban officials described their actions as retaliatory. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif declared the situation an “open war,” saying the country’s “cup of patience has overflowed.”

Pakistan carried out air strikes on major Afghan cities, including Kabul, Kandahar and Paktia, targeting what it described as key Taliban military installations. Pakistani officials also claimed that an ammunition depot in Nangarhar province was destroyed during the strikes.

The Taliban government confirmed that Pakistani airstrikes took place, with spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid saying there were no casualties. In contrast, Islamabad claimed its overnight operation killed 133 Afghan fighters. Both sides reported heavy losses, though their casualty figures differ sharply and remain unverified.

Tensions have been rising for months along the Durand Line, the 2,600-km border between the two countries, with repeated cross-border exchanges intensifying since NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Islamabad has accused the Taliban government of harbouring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan. Kabul has rejected the allegations, insisting that Pakistan’s security challenges are an internal matter.