KP terror incidents drop 65% after launch of Op Ghazab lil-Haq

PESHAWAR: Terror incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have declined by 65% following the launch of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against terrorists and their support infrastructure in neighbouring Afghanistan, police said on Saturday.

According to a report compiled by KP police, 240 incidents of terrorism were reported this year in the province before the operation began, while 80 incidents have been recorded since its launch.

In total, 323 terror incidents have been reported so far this year, as per the report.

The security forces launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq last month after the Afghan Taliban regime’s unprovoked aggression along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border.

As of March 15, officials said that security forces killed 684 Afghan Taliban operatives and militants, with more than 912 others injured.

In a statement at the time, Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said that 229 tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery guns were also destroyed during the operation.

Tarar added that operations against Fitna al-Khawarij and the Afghan Taliban also resulted in 252 posts being destroyed, while 44 others were captured before being demolished.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said that targeting terrorists and their hideouts in Afghanistan contributed to the reduction in attacks.

Chaudhry said the government was determined to eliminate terrorism from the country “at all costs”, adding that masterminds behind major terrorist attacks had been neutralised during the operation.

He also noted that Pakistan had shared intelligence regarding terrorists and their sanctuaries with the Afghan Taliban regime.

Separately, KP Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah said that security forces’ operation had yielded positive results for law and order in the province.

“Federal and provincial institutions are working together to eradicate terrorism,” he said while speaking to Geo News.

Shah reiterated that all stakeholders were on the same page in the fight against terrorism.

Terror attacks inside Pakistan witnessed a sharp increase in KP and Balochistan after the Afghan Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Pakistan has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent its soil from being used by terrorist organisations to carry out attacks inside its territory.

However, the Afghan Taliban refused to act against terror groups involved in countless attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians.

Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq months after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire in October 2025, following clashes triggered by unprovoked gunfire by the Afghan Taliban regime at multiple border points.

Islamabad said the Afghan forces’ firing was aimed at helping terrorist formations cross the border into Pakistan.

After days of border clashes, Islamabad agreed to an initial ceasefire at Kabul’s request. The countries then later reached a ceasefire deal in Qatar, which was mediated by Doha and Turkiye. Under the agreement, terrorism from Afghanistan on Pakistani soil was to be stopped immediately. The two sides then further held follow-up discussions in Turkiye, which did not deliver the desired results. Staff Report