Kabul, Feb 26: Afghanistan tonight launched massive cross-border attacks on Pakistan in retaliation to the February 22 airstrikes and claimed to have killed around 55 Pakistani soldiers while capturing one military Headquarters and 19 outposts of the enemy during the operation which was continuing.
Hamidullah Fitra, Deputy Spokesman of the Taliban regim, said, “heavy retaliatory offensive operations have been launched against the enemy by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” at various points along the Durand Line in the provinces of Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Kunar, Nuristan, Nangarhar, and at the Torkham Gate.”
He said while the operations were continuing, the Afghan forces have so far captured one Headquarters and 19 outposts of the Pakistani military.
Four outposts were abandoned and vacated by the Pakistani forces, and those were completely set on fire, he added in a statement.
“Up to 50-55 Pakistani soldiers have been killed, of whom 23 bodies and a number of others have been taken alive into the custody of the Mujahideen,” he said.
Dozens of light and heavy weapons of the Pakistani military have been seized, one tank has been destroyed, and one international harvester vehicle has also been captured, the Deputy Spokesman of the Taliban regime of Afghanistan said.
The major Headquarters of the Pakistani regime, which has been captured, is located at Anzar Sar opposite the Alisher–Terezi district of Khost Province of Afghanistan.
A little earlier, Spokesperson of the Taliban regime Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement, saying the Afghan forces “will, under the cover of darkness, easily eliminate all moving forces of the enemy and send them to hell.”
The attacks by the Afghan forces come four days after Pakistani military carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan in Paktika and Nangarhar provinces, killing dozens of civilians, including children and women.
The Pakistani air attacks, ostensibly to target “TTP terrorists”, also destroyed a mosque and a madrassa, and resulted in burning of copies of Holy Quran to the ashes.
The Taliban regime was outraged by yet another blatant violation of the sovereignty of Afghanistan by the Pakistani military and vowed retaliation at an appropriate time and place.
The Taliban regime was angered more by the fact that the Pakistani military targeted innocent Afghan Muslim civilians during the Holy month of Ramadan.
This is a developing story…..
