What happened
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Sunday that Pakistani security forces had killed 796 Afghan Taliban personnel and fighters of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, which the state calls Fitna al-Khawarij, since Operation Ghazab lil-Haq resumed, with more than 1,043 wounded.
In a post on X, Tarar said the operation had destroyed 286 checkposts and captured 44 more, and that 249 tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery guns and drones had been eliminated. Pakistani aircraft, he added, had struck 81 locations inside Afghanistan.
The minister also said security forces had foiled an attempt to overrun a border post in the Ghulam Khan Sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the night of 2–3 April. Up to 37 attackers were killed and more than 80 wounded, he said.
Why it matters
The figures are the latest official accounting of a campaign that has become the most intense fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan in decades. Pakistan says the operation, announced in response to what it called unprovoked firing across the border, targets militants it accuses Kabul of sheltering — a charge the Afghan Taliban government rejects.
The operation resumed on 26 March after a pause observed for Eidul Fitr and at the request of Islamic countries. Tarar said the pause concluded at midnight between 23 and 24 March.
China, which borders both countries, has been mediating between its two neighbours. Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday that negotiations were advancing and that “both Pakistan and Afghanistan attach importance to, and welcome, China’s mediation, and are willing to sit down for talks again, which is a positive development”.
What is still uncertain
The casualty figures come from the Pakistani government and have not been independently verified; Afghanistan has disputed previous Pakistani accounts of the fighting. It is not clear whether the China-mediated contacts will produce a lasting ceasefire, and the number of civilians affected on either side has not been established.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published material, not eyewitness reporting. Sources were reviewed on 2026-04-05.
- The News — "Op Ghazab lil-Haq: Security forces kill 796 Afghan Taliban personnel, terrorists"Published 5 April 2026 · Tarar's figures of 796 killed and 1,043 injured, the foiled Ghulam Khan border-post attack of 2–3 April, the 286 destroyed and 44 captured checkposts, and the resumption of the operation after the Eid pause.
- The Express Tribune — "796 Afghan Taliban killed, 286 checkposts destroyed in Operation Ghazab Lil Haq so far: Tarar"Published 5 April 2026 · The 249 destroyed vehicles and guns, 81 strike locations, the 2–3 April night attack and China's mediation efforts and Mao Ning's remarks.
