Information minister says 182 Taliban checkposts destroyed; Pakistani forces take control of 31 additional posts
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar addresses a press conference in Islamabad on Friday. — SCREENGRAB
ISLAMABAD:
Security forces have killed 415 Afghan Taliban in a major military operation launched in response to “unprovoked cross-border attacks” from Afghanistan, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Sunday.
According to the federal information minister, 415 Afghan Taliban personnel have been killed and 580 wounded so far in the operation. He said that 182 Taliban checkposts had been completely destroyed, while Pakistani forces had taken control of 31 additional posts.
The minister termed the response decisive and said operations were continuing as planned.
The information minister further claimed that 115 Afghan Taliban tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery guns had been destroyed during the course of the fighting.
He added that air operations had effectively targeted 46 locations across Afghanistan. Security sources said that on February 28, in broad daylight, Pakistani troops advanced across the border fence from North Waziristan toward a Taliban central post.
According to the sources, Afghan personnel fled upon sighting the advancing Pakistani forces, after which the central post was taken over. During the operation, enemy compounds were cleared and their flags removed.
In further developments, security sources said an Afghan checkpost in the Kurram sector was also targeted. The post was destroyed using explosives, and multiple Afghan personnel were reported killed.
Sources added that the Afghan Taliban regime was facing setbacks on multiple fronts and maintained that the operation would continue until its objectives were achieved.
