Over 100 TTP Gul Bahadur group terrorists killed in ‘precision strikes’: Tarar

Repudiating claims of targeting of civilians, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Saturday said Pakistan struck “verified camps” of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)’s Gul Bahadur Group in border areas of North and South Waziristan districts along Pak-Afghan border a day ago.

“During 48 hours-long ceasefire, Kharjis operating from Afghanistan, attempted to launch multiple terrorists attacks inside Pakistan which were effectively countered by security forces. During the effective responses by security forces, more than 100 Kharjis were sent to hell,” the information minister said in a post on his X account.

He said a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED) attack by Gul Bahadur Group in North Waziristan martyred civilians and a soldier while multiple others sustained injuries.

“Against Kharjis of Gul Bahadur Group, precision strikes were undertaken last night. In these precision strikes, minimum 60-70 Kharjis and their leadership have been sent to hell based on confirmed intelligence reports,” he said.

Tarar said all speculations and assertions being made regarding targeting of civilians were false and meant to generate support for terrorist groups operating from inside Afghanistan.

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“Pakistan sincerely believes that path forward lies in resolving this complex issue of Indian-sponsored terrorism emanating from Afghan soil through talks and control of non-state actors by Afghan authorities.

“However, Pakistan has all the rights to safeguard its territorial integrity and the lives of the people of Pakistan, and we shall not allow terrorists operating from inside Afghanistan to live in peace,” he said.

Clarification by Information Minister Tarar has come hours after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced its withdrawal from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series in Pakistan, amid the cross-border hostilities.

The ACB has claimed that three cricketers and five other individuals were killed in an attack a day ago in Afghanistan’s Paktika province.

In a statement, the ACB expressed sorrow and grief over death of cricketers from Urgun District in Paktika Province, claiming they were killed in an attack allegedly “carried out by the Pakistani regime.“

Once allies, Islamabad and Kabul have been engaged in cross-border fighting, which came to a halt with temporary truce lately.

Terrorist attacks in Pakistan have been a major irritant in its relationship with the Afghan Taliban, which returned to power in Kabul after the departure of US-led forces in 2021.

The latest conflict between the two countries was triggered after Islamabad repeatedly demanded that Kabul rein in terrorists who had stepped up attacks in Pakistan, saying they operated from havens in Afghanistan. The Taliban denies giving haven to militants to attack Pakistan.

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The fighting between the two neighbouring nations this month is their worst in decades. It has drawn the attention of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, who have mediated and sought to stop the fighting. US President Donald Trump has also said he can help resolve the conflict.

The conflict began after despite Pakistan’s repeated diplomatic efforts and requests to the Afghan government to rein in terrorists operating from their soil failed and the Taliban authorities did not take concrete measures against the militants.

The FO in its fresh statement has said Pakistan did not seek escalation but urged the Afghan Taliban authorities to honour their commitments to the international community and address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns by taking verifiable action against terrorist entities, including the TTP, also known as Fitna-al-Khawarij, and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), alias Fitna-al-Hindustan.