ISLAMABAD: A deadly escalation unfolded at the Pak-Afghan border early Thursday morning when Afghan-based militants carried out an improvised explosive device (IED) attack at Bab-e-Dost, a key border crossing near Chaman.
The attack, which occurred around 6:00 AM, triggered a major military response from Pakistan, which later led to heavy casualties of the Afghan based terrorists.
According to a senior defense source, the militants had sent reinforcements to the area prior to the attack, which was aimed at destabilizing the border post.
The Pakistan Army launched a series of artillery strikes and aerial operations, including cordon-and-search operations. “Nine major posts held by the militants along the border were destroyed in the initial wave of attacks”.
Further military action targeted the Humvee vehicles—American-origin semi-armored transports—used by the militants in the attack. The vehicles were successfully destroyed, the source confirmed.
The response extended beyond the immediate border area. The Pakistan military reportedly targeted a brigade headquarters of the militant group in Kandahar, from where the reinforcements were believed to have originated. Using F-16 fighter jets and Akinci drones, a 2,000-pound bomb was deployed, killing over 180 militants and injuring nearly 500, the defense source said.
Additionally, eight tanks used by the terrorists group were destroyed in the same operation.
In a subsequent strike, operations were carried out against terrorists hideouts in Kabul, resulting in over 100 militant casualties, the source added. The military also conducted successful airstrikes in two to four other undisclosed locations across Afghanistan.
The defense official described the current ceasefire as a “tactical pause” rather than a permanent halt in operations. “The Pakistan Army is not going to stop now until the elimination of terrorism in the region,” the source said.
