• One suspected terrorist shot dead, accomplices forced to flee
• Tarar says 583 Taliban operatives killed; nearly 800 wounded as Operation Ghazab lil-Haq continues
• Heavy shelling reported in Mohmand

QUETTA: On the 11th day of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, sec­urity forces thwarted yet ano­ther infiltration attempt by terrorists along the Afghan border in Chaman, killing one of them and forcing others to flee.

Three to four terrorists from “Fitna al Khawarij” attempted to infiltrate the border area in Chaman, security sources said.

Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists be­lo­nging to the banned Teh­reek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Sources said security forces “effectively engaged the targets”. One terrorist was killed in an exch­ange of fire while others managed to escape injured”, they said, adding that four to five improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and fence-cutting equipment were recovered from the slain terrorist.

Since the launch of Opera­tion Ghazab lil-Haq on Feb 26, being conducted by Pakistan to counter emerging challenges along its borders with Afgha­nistan, security forces have killed 583 Afghan Taliban ope­ratives, left nearly 800 wou­nded and destroyed as many as 242 of their posts, according to the official data released by the government of Pakistan.

Information Minister Atta­ullah Tarar in a post on X stated that 795 Afghan Taliban operatives have been injured during the operation, 38 of their posts captured, 213 tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery guns destroyed, and 64 locations across Afgha­nistan “effectively targeted by air”.

Due to a resurgence of militancy, especially in Balo­chistan and Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa, where attacks often target security personnel and LEAs, the state has intensified counter-terrorism operations. Thirteen terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Hindustan were killed in Balochistan’s Sam­baza and Pishin areas, while 30 terrorists belonging to Fitna Al Khawarij were killed in four separate engagements in KP on Feb 23 and 24.

The term ‘Fitna-al-Hind­ustan’ has been designated by the state for Balochistan-based terrorist groups to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan.

Heavy shelling in Mohmand

Meanwhile, tension persisted along the Afghan border in Mohmand area, with reports of heavy shelling and intermittent exchange of fire at multiple locations.

According to residents, three mortar shells were fired from the Afghan side near the residence of tribal elder Malik Sanobar Khan in the Shandara Sanakhel neighbourhood.

However, no casualties were reported.

Malik Sanobar Khan, a tribal elder from Shandara Sanakhel, said that fire was exchanged intermittently at several points along the Afghan border.

He said border areas including Shamsi, Anargi, Mamad Kor and Sanakhel frequently came under attack from across the border, particularly during nighttime. As a result of the shelling, several empty hujras and houses in Baizai tehsil sustained damage.

Residents have expressed concern over the recurring incidents and urged the authorities to take immediate steps to control the situation and ensure the safety of civilians living in the border areas.

Fauzee Khan Mohmand in Mohmand also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2026