DG ISPR tells Afghan Taliban regime to choose between terrorist organisations and Pakistan

Over 270 Taliban regime personnel, terrorists killed

RAWALPINDI: At least 274 Taliban regime personnel and terrorists have been killed so far in Pakistan’s retaliatory action following unprovoked aggression along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, said the chief military spokesperson on Friday.

Addressing a press conference to brief the media on border clashes with Taliban regime, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry  said that Pakistan targeted terrorist hideouts on the night of February 21 and 22 in Afghanistan.

Ahmed Sharif said on Friday that the Afghan Taliban had to choose between standing with Pakistan or with terrorist organisations.

“I want to make one thing clear: the oppressive Afghan Taliban regime has to make a clear choice. The choice is to choose between Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Baloch Liberation Army, Daesh, Al Qaeda, the terrorists and terrorist organisations and Pakistan,” he said while giving a briefing on security forces’ response to unprovoked aggression by the Afghan Taliban on Thursday.

“They have to make this choice. It has been made clear by the government of Pakistan. It is not something new I am saying … They have to make this choice. Whether they choose terrorists and terrorism or Pakistan. We are clear … Let it be known that our choice is absolutely clear. It will always be Pakistan over everything,” he said.

“The Pakistan Army and the people of Pakistan have never hesitated in making any sacrifice for this choice and they never will,” he asserted.

At the outset of the briefing, the DG ISPR gave a breakdown of the security forces’ response.

“The Afghan Taliban regime, which is the master proxy of all these terrorist proxies operating from Afghanistan … that master proxy … came into action last night … along with the terrorists of Fitna al Khawarij,” he said.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term that the state used for banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

The DG ISPR said that Afghan Taliban and Fitna al Khawarij opened fire and carried out physical raids on 53 locations along the Pak-Afghan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“This aggression was done by this master proxy in coordination, in collusion and in support of a terrorist organisation. That’s what happened last night,” he said.

Talking about Pakistan’s response to the aggression, he said: “We were ready.”

He said that Pakistan’s armed forces responded “immediately and effectively”, adding that the attack was repulsed at all 53 locations.

“They came with armed quadcopters [and] big and small weapons. We shot down their quadcopters and silenced their weapons,” he said.

He added that not only were the attacks effectively repulsed, but Pakistan, exercising self-defence, responded and gave a “befitting reply”.

As per conservative estimates, 115 tanks, armoured vehicles, and artillery pieces of the Afghan Taliban forces had been destroyed, he said.

He further said that the headquarters and military installations — which were providing support to terrorist organisations and helped them plan — were targeted and hit.

In these airstrikes, 22 locations in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Nangarhar, Khost, and Paktika were targeted, he said.

“All these targets were very carefully selected based on intelligence. They are military targets, and great care was exercised so that there is no civilian collateral damage,” he asserted. Staff Report