PESHAWAR: Mid-level leadership of banned militant outfit, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) alias Fitna al-Khawarij, was eliminated in strikes carried out by Pakistani forces under Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, security sources said on Thursday.
The sources said that the Afghan Taliban regime is involved in terrorist incidents in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The sources said that the ongoing operation is not directed against the Afghan people but is specifically aimed at eliminating terrorist elements operating in the region.
They added that Pakistan is carrying out intelligence-based operations (IBOs) inside Afghanistan, stressing that civilians are not being targeted in any way during these actions.
"Our strategy focuses solely on terrorist hideouts, not civilians," the sources said, reiterating that the operations are designed to dismantle militant infrastructure.
Security sources further said that several mid-level leaders of the TTP were killed in recent strikes. They added that more than 50 airstrikes have been carried out so far on positions linked to the Afghan Taliban regime.
Pakistan has achieved its intended targets in Bagram during the ongoing Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, security sources said, adding that key infrastructure used to supply ammunition by the Afghan Taliban regime to militants had been destroyed.
The sources said that the strikes were carried out strictly to achieve operational objectives and were not a response to any particular public statement.
They said Pakistani forces would continue targeting militant positions inside Afghanistan until all operational objectives are met.
Pakistan has so far carried out 58 operations in Afghanistan as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts, added security sources.
During these operations, 226 militant check posts have been destroyed, while Pakistani forces have raised their flag over 36 captured posts, they added.
The sources also said that threats attributed to the banned militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are being circulated to intimidate the public.
Afghanistan has effectively become a "master proxy" in the ongoing regional security landscape and patronising several terrorist organisations, security sources said.
Describing the broader regional dynamics, the sources said Afghanistan has historically been viewed as a "graveyard of empires", but in reality has served as a "playing ground" where major powers pursue their strategic interests.
However, the sources emphasised that Pakistan has no intention of conquering Afghanistan, reiterating that its sole demand is that Afghan territory should not be used to launch terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
They also said the Afghan Taliban regime involved in recent incidents in Bajaur, Tarlai Mosque, and Wana, according to the security sources.
According to a United Nations report, 22 terrorist organisations are operating in Afghanistan.
