Afghanistan says 327 Pakistani soldiers killed in ‘Radd-ul-Zulm’ operation

Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense said on Friday 327 Pakistani soldiers have been killed and hundreds more wounded since the launch of the retaliatory “Radd-ul-Zulm” operation, an ongoing campaign that started a week ago in response to attacks by Pakistani military.

In a statement, the ministry said Afghan forces conducted large-scale strikes over the past 24 hours against Pakistani military positions along the Durand Line facing the provinces of Kandahar, Nangarhar, Kunar, Khost, Paktia and Paktika.

According to the ministry, 14 Pakistani posts and three military bases were captured and completely destroyed during the latest phase of the operation.

The statement added that 109 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 148 others wounded in the past 24 hours alone. Afghan forces also destroyed more than 10 Pakistani military vehicles during the clashes.

The ministry said Afghan troops seized hundreds of light and heavy weapons along with a large quantity of ammunition, and claimed that two enemy reconnaissance aircraft were shot down during the fighting.

According to the report, three Afghan soldiers were killed and nine others wounded during the operation.

The ministry also said that seven civilians were killed and 13 others injured after Pakistani forces targeted residential areas during the fighting.

The Defense Ministry stressed that since the start of the “Radd-ul-Zulm” operation, which it said was launched in response to attacks by Pakistan’s military authorities, 64 Pakistani posts and seven military bases have been captured and destroyed, while 327 Pakistani soldiers have been killed and more than 350 others wounded.