Operation Khyber

Khyber was the code-name for a 2014-17 military offensive conducted by Pakistan's military in the Khyber Agency in four phases; Khyber-1, Khyber-2, Khyber-3 and Khyber-4.

Operation Khyber
Part of the Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
and the War on Terror
DateOctober 2014 – 21 August 2017
Location
Khyber Agency, FATA, Pakistan
Status

Decisive Pakistani victory

  • Area completely cleared,
    militants dismantled[1]
  • Khyber returned to governmental control
  • Many militants killed or fled
Belligerents
Pakistan Insurgent groups
Commanders and leaders

Pakistan
President
Mamnoon Hussain

Prime Minister
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi (2017)
Nawaz Sharif (2014–2017)

Army Chief
Qamar Javed Bajwa (2016–2017)
Raheel Sharif (2014–2016)

Chairman JCSC
Zubair Hayat (2016–2017)
Rashad Mahmood (2014–16)

DG ISI
Naveed Mukhtar
(2016–2017)
Rizwan Akhtar
(2014–2016)

Air Chief
Tahir Rafique Butt

Naval Chief

Muhammad Zakaullah

Omar Khalid Khorasani (Dead Oct 2017)
Mangal Bagh

Fazlullah
Strength
Pakistan Army
Pakistan Air Force
Paramilitary Forces[2][3]		 Lashkar-e-Islam[4]
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan[4]
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province[5]
Casualties and losses
During Operation:
4 killed[6] (as of 3 January 2015)
11 injured[6]		 In Pakistani offensive:
280+ killed[6] (as of 3 January 2015)
400 surrendered[6]

Khyber Agency is among Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal districts near the Afghan border, rife with insurgents and militants. Terrorist organisations including Al Qaeda and ISIS have had presence there. The plains of Bara hold strategic significance for militant groups as they connect the agency to the outskirts of Peshawar. The key area also straddles the NATO supply line into Afghanistan. The region has been long fought over by a mix of militant organisations, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Ansarul Islam and Mangal Bagh's Lashkar-e-Islam.

History

Operation Khyber was originally announced in 2014 as a part of Pakistan Army's extension of Operation Zarb-e-Azb to parts of Khyber Agency. It was conducted in four phases, with Khyber-4 targeting ISIS among other terrorist organizations.


Khyber-1

Amid failed attempts to negotiate with militants, Pakistan army declared the time to negotiate for terrorists operating in the restive Tehsil was over and that militants had no option but to either lay down arms or face a military crackdown. The operation 'Khyber-1' began with airstrikes against Lashkar-e-Islam outs in areas under the Mangal Bagh led group's control in Tirah and Bara on 17 October 2014, Ultimately killing 21 militants and destroying their three key bases. Sources said the main aim of the operation was to clear Khyber from Bara to the border of Tirah valley, following which the second phase of the operation will begin.[7]

Khyber-2

Announced in February 2015 and launched in March 2015, Operation Khyber-2 was aimed to clear the Tirah valley main target being Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan. The Tirah Valley consists of deep valleys and high mountains, a suitable time of year was chosen, although resulting in many casualties of Pakistan Armed Forces, the operation was successful. The operation formally ended on 15 June 2015, marking a one-year anniversary of Operation Zarb-e-Azab.[8]

Khyber-3

Launched on 16 August 2016, Khyber-3 intended to clear areas beyond the Tirah Valley closer to the Durand Line nine militant dens were decimated along the border, Large dumps of arms and ammunitions were discovered, More than 40 terrorists were killed and 21 injured, the operation ended up greatly affecting the cross border movement of terrorists.[9] The operation Khyber-3 was conceived ended with the start of Khyber-4.

Khyber-4

Operation Khyber-4 was announced on 15 July 2017 as part of Pakistan Army's ongoing offensive Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad against militancy.[10]

Launched on 15 July 2017, phase I aimed to clear Rajgal valley, targeting Jamat-ul-Ahrar among other terrorist organizations, more than 13 terrorists were killed and 6 injured. A Pakistani soldier was also killed in exchange of fire. A total area of 90 kilometres was cleared with the help of Pakistan Air Force. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced the end of first phase of Operation Khyber-4 on 21 July 2017, declaring the operation to be successful.[11]

On 21 August 2017, Director General ISPR Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor announced the successful completion of Operation Khyber-4. The ground objectives in the Rajgal and Shawal valleys were achieved.[12] During the campaign, 52 terrorists were killed, 32 injured, four surrendered and one was arrested. Two soldiers of the Pakistan Army were also killed in the six-week long counter-terrorism operation.[13]

Belligerents
Main article: Pakistan Armed Forces

Lashkar-e-Islam (Urdu: لشكرِ اسلام‎), (LI or LeI) (literally Army of Islam) is a militant organization active in and around Khyber Agency, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan. LeI was founded in 2004 by Mufti Munir Shakir. Currently the organization is headed by Mangal Bagh. LeI had control in Tirah and Bara.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is a militant Islamist group that split away from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in August 2014.[14] On 9 November 2014, JuA spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan confirmed that Abu Jandal was leading a contingent of 50 fighters in battle against the Pakistani security forces in Tirah. He further said that 50 more fighters would soon be on their way to the valley.[15]

Tehrik-i-Taliban is an umbrella organization of various Islamist militant groups based in the northwestern Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Afghan border in Pakistan. Mangal Bagh is reported to have requested TTP and other militant groups to send their fighters to the Tirah valley to support LI. The TTP had announced it would send fighters to join LI.[4]

Preparations

Pakistan's security forces had blocked all entry and exit points of Bara at least two days ahead of the Khyber-1 military operation.

Timeline
  • On 16 October 2014, twenty-one suspected militants were killed and five hideouts were destroyed in air strikes on the militant group Lashkar-e-Islam in the Aka Khel area.[16]
  • On 17 October 2014, at least nine suspected militants were killed and 10 others were injured in an operation in the Bara area.[7]
25 October
18 militants were killed in Pakistani air strikes in Khyber Agency's Khyber district near the Afghan border.[17]
29 October
Twenty militants were killed and eight others were injured in airstrikes by Pakistan Air Force in Akka Khel area of the Khyber Agency.[18]
  • On 9 November 2014, at least 27 militants were killed and two soldiers died as security forces carried out strikes in Akakhel and Tirah areas. Those killed included a key militant commander and two suicide bombers. Ten militant hideouts and an ammunition depot were also destroyed, according to ISPR.[19]
  • On 11 November 2014, at least nine militants were killed and 12 others injured in a clash between security forces and militants in the Akakhel area of Bara Agency. Four key militant commanders also surrendered to authorities.[20]
  • On 12 November 2014, at least 19 militants were killed during air strikes in Sandapal and Akakhel areas of Khyber Agency. According to the ISPR, an important militant commander was also killed. Furthermore, the air strikes destroyed at least five militant hideouts and an ammunition depot in the area.[21]
  • On 21 November 2014, at least twenty-two militants were killed in airstrikes against militant hideouts in various parts of Tirah valley of Khyber Agency, according to ISPR.[22]
  • On 28 November 2014 at least 11 suspected militants were killed and five hideouts were destroyed in airstrikes in Tirah valley.[23]
  • On 29 November 2014, Two Taliban commanders were killed in a clash with the security forces in Jamrud Tehsil of Khyber Agency. Official sources said that the clash occurred in Lashora area of Jamrud which left militant commanders of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Abubakar and Wajid, dead.[24]

See also

References
  1. http://www.dawn.com/news/1192007
  2. "Dunya News: Pakistan:-Khyber Agency: Six killed in US drone strike ..." Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  3. "Khyber Agency: Drone strike kills ten suspected militants in Nazyan - Pakistan - Dunya News". dunyanews.tv. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  4. Zahir Shah Sherazi. "Mullah Fazlullah escapes drone strike near Pak-Afghan border: sources". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  5. Madeeha Anwar (28 July 2017). "Afghanistan Criticizes Pakistan's Anti-IS Operations". Voice of America. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  6. "Tirah blitz leaves 31 suspected militants dead". The Express Tribune. 3 January 2015. Archived from the original on 3 January 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  7. Zahir Shah Sherazi. "Nine killed as military operation launched in Khyber". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  8. Khan, Ismail (3 July 2015). "Military operation in Khyber ends successfully". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  9. "Operation Khyber III achievements so far". Times of Islamabad. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  10. Dawn.com (16 July 2017). "Army launches Operation Khyber-4 in Rajgal Valley". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  11. "First phase of Operation Khyber-4 successfully completed: ISPR". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  12. "Army announces conclusion of Operation Khyber-4 in wide-ranging press conference". Dawn. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  13. Yousaf, Kamran (21 August 2017). "Rajgal cleansed of terrorists as military concludes Operation Khyber-IV". Express Tribune. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  14. "Pakistan Taliban faction announce split, new leader". Agence France-Presse. 4 September 2014. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  15. "Jamaatul Ahrar confirms death of commander in Khyber airstrikes". Dawn. 10 November 2014.
  16. Ibrahim Shinwari. "21 militants killed in Khyber air strikes". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  17. "Air strikes kill 18 militants in Khyber Agency". The Express Tribune. 26 October 2014. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  18. "Air strikes kill 20 militants in Khyber Agency". Geo News. 29 October 2014. Archived from the original on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  19. Zahir Shah Sherazi. "Security forces kill 27 militants, destroy 10 hideouts in Khyber Agency: ISPR". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  20. Zahir Shah Sherazi - Mateen Haider. "Two soldiers, 24 militants killed in Orakzai, Bara". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  21. Zahir Shah Sherazi. "19 militants killed in air strikes in Khyber Agency". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  22. Zahir Shah Sherazi. "Twenty-two militants killed in Khyber strikes". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  23. Ibrahim Shinwari. "11 killed in Tirah air attack". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  24. Zahir Shah Sherazi. "Two key Taliban commanders killed in Khyber clash: sources". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
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