2014 Kunar Offensive

Armed conflict of the War in Afghanistan September 2024 2014 Kunar Offensive War in Afghanistan (2001–present) Kunar in Afghanistan.svg Map of Afghanistan with Kunar province highlighted December 2014 Dangam district,Kunar province,eastern Afghanistan 35 0 0 N 71 12 0 E inline,title Afghanistan/Pakistan victory Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Supported by: Pakistan Pakistan Pakistan Armed Forces Flag of Jihad.svg Insurgent groups Flag_of_Tehrik-i-Taliban.svg Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan 2,000 militantsTaliban fighters mount offensive near Afghan border with Pakistan https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-kunar-idUSKBN0JU1QB20141216 December 16, 2014 Reuters December 22, 2014 5 soldiers killed (official sources)6 civilians killed 21 killed, 33 wounded (official sources) 2014 Kunar Offensive refers to a 2014 armed conflict of the War in Afghanistan, between the Afghan Army and a terrorist group, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It occurred in the Dangam district of eastern Kunar province, in Afghanistan bordering on Pakistan.Afghan forces launch operation in Kunar Agence France-Presse The News International December 22, 2014 http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-169471-Afghan-forces-launch-operation-in-Kunar- December 22, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141222162548/http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-169471-Afghan-forces-launch-operation-in-Kunar- 2014-12-22 dead The offensive was launched by the Afghan Army on 22 December 2014 after Kunar province had been the site of armed clashes since 12 December 2014.Afghan army launches offensive in eastern remote district Xinhua News Agency December 22, 2014 http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2014-12/22/c_133871365.htm December 22, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141223220422/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2014-12/22/c_133871365.htm dead December 23, 2014 It was a joint operation involving support from the Pakistan Army, aimed at destruction of TTP sanctuaries in Kunar province.Taliban sanctuaries in Afghanistan to be eliminated, Pakistan assured December 24, 2014 Dawn https://www.dawn.com/news/1152847/taliban-sanctuaries-in-afghanistan-to-be-eliminated-pakistan-assured 2024-09-12 https://web.archive.org/web/20240228062341/https://www.dawn.com/news/1152847/taliban-sanctuaries-in-afghanistan-to-be-eliminated-pakistan-assured 2024-02-28 live Background Peshawar school attack 2014 Peshawar school attack On 16 December 2014, a group of seven members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), led by Abu Shamil who planned the attacks, accompanied by three Arabs and two Afghans who spoke Pashto and were from Eastern Afghanistan,Javed Rashid چھ حملہ آوروں میں سے ایک چیچن، تین عرب اور دو افغان تھے۔ ur From Six attackers, one was Chechen, three were Arabs and two were Afghans Daily Jang 20 December 2014 http://jang.com.pk/jang/dec2014-daily/20-12-2014/main4.htm 22 December 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141220082822/http://jang.com.pk/jang/dec2014-daily/20-12-2014/main.htm 2014-12-20 dead conducted a terrorist attack on the Army Public School in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. They entered the school and opened fire on school staff and children,Peshawar school attack: Over 100 killed in Pakistani Taliban attack, hundreds of students hostage Daily News and Analysis 16 December 2014 https://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-live-pakistan-school-siege-terrorists-hold-at-least-500-students-hostage-3-dead-28-injured-2044341 2024-09-12 killing 145 people, including 132 schoolchildren, ranging between eight and eighteen years of age.In Pakistan school attack, Taliban terrorists kill 145, mostly children Sophia Saifi Greg Botelho CNN 17 December 2014 https://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/16/world/asia/pakistan-peshawar-school-attack/ 2024-09-12Taliban Besiege Pakistan School, Leaving 145 Dead Declan Walsh Declan Walsh (journalist) The New York Times 16 December 2014 A1 https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/17/world/asia/taliban-attack-pakistani-school.html subscription 18 December 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141222031538/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/17/world/asia/taliban-attack-pakistani-school.html 2014-12-22 live TTP leaders operating in Afghanistan coordinated the attacks. Taliban Prepared Hit List of Boys to Kill in Pakistan School Kamran Haider Bloomberg News 18 December 2014 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-12-18/taliban-says-it-had-hit-list-of-boys-to-kill-in-pakistan-school subscription 2024-09-12 https://web.archive.org/web/20220625060855/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-12-18/taliban-says-it-had-hit-list-of-boys-to-kill-in-pakistan-school 2022-06-25 live A rescue operation was launched by the Pakistan Army's Special Services Group (SSG) special forces, who killed all seven terrorists and rescued 960 people.Pakistan Taliban kill scores in Peshawar school massacre BBC News 16 December 2014 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30491435 16 December 2014Peshawar school attack: Pakistan authorities claim all Taliban attackers are dead The Express Tribune 16 December 2014 http://tribune.com.pk/story/807564/gunmen-target-school-in-peshawar/ 16 December 2014Taliban kills at least 104 people in attack on Pakistan military school Zulfiqar Ali Shashank Bengali Los Angeles Times 16 December 2014 http://www.latimes.com/world/afghanistan-pakistan/la-fg-pakistan-taliban-attack-20141216-story.html subscription 16 December 2014 Pakistani pressure Pakistani Taliban were hiding in distant areas of Kunar and Nuristan provinces of Afghanistan. On 17 December, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, accompanied by the Director General of the Inter-Service Intelligence, Lieutenant-General Rizwan Akhtar, went on a visit to Kabul to meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and General John F. Campbell, the commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan. According to the news sources in Pakistan, General Raheel asked for the handovers of TTP leadership and asked the Afghan government to act against hideouts of the Taliban terrorists in its territory.Pakistani Army Chief Asks Afghans to Help Find Taliban Commanders Behind Massacre Ismail Khan Azam Ahmed The New York Times 17 December 2014 A24 https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/world/asia/pakistan-premier-lifts-death-penalty-moratorium-following-school-massacre.html?_r=0 subscription 17 December 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141218114329/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/world/asia/pakistan-premier-lifts-death-penalty-moratorium-following-school-massacre.html?_r=0 2014-12-18 live At the meeting with Afghan officials, General Raheel delivered a message to Afghan National Army's Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Sher Mohammad Karimi, "to take decisive action against sanctuaries of the TTP or else Pakistan would go for a hot pursuit." One intelligence official confirmed the message relayed to Afghan president and reportedly cautioned that "if Afghan authorities fail to act this time, we will explore all options, including hot pursuit." In further talks, General Raheel told the Afghan president that "Pakistan's military could eliminate TTP's sanctuaries in Kunar and Nuristan on its own but was showing restraint due to Afghanistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. President Ashraf Ghani assured General Raheel that his country would take all the necessary steps to root out the terrorists. A joint operation against the Taliban was also discussed with the Afghan leadership.Yousaf Kamran Kabul, ISAF promise action against TTP sanctuaries The Express Tribune 18 December 2014 http://tribune.com.pk/story/808780/kabul-isaf-promise-action-against-ttp-sanctuaries/ 17 December 2014 In a media report published in The Nation, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif released a separate statement to Afghan president on a "hot pursuit" and has sent a message to Kabul reportedly stressing: "Wipe out Taliban or we will."Asif Bashir Chaudhry COAS warns Kabul of hot pursuit The Nation Kabul 17 December 2014 https://www.nation.com.pk/18-Dec-2014/coas-warns-kabul-of-hot-pursuit 2024-09-12 Earlier in June 2014, it was reported by Afghan officials that the Pakistan Armed Forces had started an offensive in Kunar province, an allegation denied by Pakistani foreign office. Pakistani officials said that Afghan army was committing border violations and was involved in cross-border attacks.FO denies Afghan allegations of conducting any offensive in Kunar Kashif Imran ARY News June 24, 2014 https://arynews.tv/fo-denies-afghan-allegations-of-conducting-any-offensive-in-kunar/ 2024-09-12 On 24 December 2014, Afghan Army chief General Sher Mohammad Karimi and ISAF Commander General John Campbell while on a visit to Pakistan Army's GHQ in Rawalpindi, achieved consensus to continue coordinated operations and eliminate the TTP sanctuaries in Afghanistan. A Pakistani military official said, "It (Kunar) was a coordinated operation. The Afghan side shared information with us and we took measures on our side." An ISPR statement added: "Both leaders assured their full support in fight against terrorism and eliminating terrorists on Afghan soil." Insurgents from Pakistan and Afghanistan attacked Afghan army posts in Dangam district of Kunar province. As many as 2,000 militants were reported to be involved in the conflict. Fazlullah's presence In November 2009, Fazlullah told the BBC's Urdu Service that he had escaped from Pakistan to Afghanistan and warned that he would continue to attack Pakistani forces in Swat.Taliban leader 'flees Pakistan' Hai Kakar BBC News 17 November 2009 https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8364243.stm 28 June 2012 After the death of Hakimullah Mehsud in a drone attack, Fazlullah was appointed as the new "Amir" (Chief) of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan on 7 November 2013.Haji Mujtaba Jibran Ahmed No more peace talks, 'Mullah Radio' tells Pakistan Reuters 7 November 2013 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-taliban-idUSBRE9A60OR20131107 2013-11-08 He narrowly escaped a U.S. drone strike on 25 November 2014.'Precise' drone strikes: 874 killed in US hunt for 24 terrorists in Pakistan Hassaan Khan The Express Tribune November 25, 2014 https://tribune.com.pk/story/796806/precise-drone-strikes-874-killed-in-us-hunt-for-24-terrorists-in-pakistan 2024-09-12 After reports that Fazlullah masterminded the Peshawar school attack, Pakistan Army officials were pressured to kill him within 24 hours.Pakistan Army, ISAF to target Mullah Fazlullah in drone attack: Report The Economic Times 19 December 2014 https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/pakistan-army-isaf-to-target-mullah-fazlullah-in-drone-attack-report/articleshow/45578410.cms subscription 2024-09-12 https://web.archive.org/web/20240305142940/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/pakistan-army-isaf-to-target-mullah-fazlullah-in-drone-attack-report/articleshow/45578410.cms 2024-03-05 livePak Army gives Afghan govt, ISAF 'reasonable' time to 'drone out' Fazlullah Pakistan Today 19 December 2014 https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2014/12/20/pak-army-gives-afghan-govt-isaf-reasonable-time-to-drone-out-fazlullah/ 19 December 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20200908034753/https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2014/12/20/pak-army-gives-afghan-govt-isaf-reasonable-time-to-drone-out-fazlullah/ 2020-09-08 dead'Army, ISAF agree to take Fazlullah out in coming days' Abdul Manan The Express Tribune 19 December 2014 https://tribune.com.pk/story/809332/army-isaf-agree-to-take-fazlullah-out-in-coming-days-pm-told 2024-09-12 On the other hand, Pakistani officials in turn have asked Afghan authorities to capture and hand over Fazlullah multiple times.Afghan forces launch operation in areas bordering Pakistan Agence France-Presse The Express Tribune December 22, 2014 https://tribune.com.pk/story/810636/afghan-forces-launch-operation-in-areas-bordering-pakistan 2024-09-12 See also Operation Zarb-e-Azb Military operations of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) References 25em Kunar Kunar Offensive 2014 Kunar Offensive 2014 Kunar Offensive 2014 Category:December 2014 in Afghanistan Category:Military operations involving Pakistan Category:Spillover of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)