Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Skirmish Continues as Military Operation Intensifies

The border skirmish between Pakistan and Afghanistan continued on Monday as Islamabad destroyed Taliban’s ammunition depot, according to state media reports, after launching ‘Operation Ghazab lil Haq’ days ago. This comes after Afghan Taliban forces attacked 53 locations along the more than 2,600 kms long border. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Sunday said that Pakistan has killed 415 Afghan Taliban personnel and injured more than 580 in the ongoing military operation, which was launched last week. State-run Pakistan Television (PTV) reported that Pakistani forces destroyed an ammunition depot in Khost, as the army’s “vigorous and powerful counter-attacks” against Afghan Taliban aggression were continuing. Amid the ongoing military exercise, Pakistan has shut certain airroutes within Karachi and Lahore Flight Information Regions (FIRs) at specific times to accommodate fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). According to the notification, these air routes will remain unavailable for commercial operations from March 3 to March 31, between 9 am and 3 pm daily. Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said the “decision has been taken due to expected military exercises involving fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force, during which various sectors of the Karachi and Lahore FIRs will be closed to commercial flights.” According to Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban after “unprovoked firing” from across the border last week. “Pakistan’s armed forces have destroyed 182 Afghan Taliban posts and captured 31, and 415 Afghan Taliban personnel have been killed and over 580 injured since the start of the operation so far,” he said on Monday. Currently, there is no end in sight of the conflict as Pakistan forces are dismantling the security apparatus of the Taliban. Efforts were made by the Gulf countries, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, soon after the conflict began, to negotiate peace, but the eventual escalations in Middle East due to the Iran-US-Israel conflict let to no near-term resolution. (With inputs from PTI)