Pakistan Claims Nearly 300 Afghan Taliban Fighters Killed

Pakistan has claimed that nearly 300 personnel of the Afghan Taliban and allied militant groups have been killed as its security forces continue a major military operation along the border with Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Minister for Information, Attaullah Tarar, said in a late-night update that Pakistani forces had killed 297 combatants linked to the Afghan Taliban regime, while more than 450 operatives were injured during the ongoing operation.

Providing further details of the military campaign, Tarar said Pakistani forces destroyed 89 Taliban posts and captured 18 others during what Islamabad has named Operation Ghazab lil-Haq. According to the minister, about 135 tanks and armoured vehicles were also destroyed during the fighting.

He added that the Pakistani Air Force had effectively targeted around 29 locations inside Afghanistan, indicating the scale of the operation as tensions between the two neighbouring countries intensify.

The escalation has triggered concern internationally. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, expressed deep concern over the violence and urged both sides to de-escalate.

Speaking at a daily UN press briefing, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Secretary-General is “deeply concerned by the escalation of violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan and the impact that violence is having on civilian populations.” He called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and resolution of disputes through diplomacy.

UN humanitarian officials have also raised concerns over the impact of attacks in Afghanistan, including reports of an incident at a transit and reception centre at the Torkham border crossing, a key crossing point between the two countries.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the situation while responding to questions about whether Washington would intervene to stop the fighting.

“I get along with Pakistan very well, very, very well. You have a great Prime Minister, you have a great General there,” Trump said, adding that he believes Pakistan is doing “terrifically well.”

The comments come as concerns grow that the clashes could escalate into a broader conflict between the two countries, further destabilising an already volatile region.