Operation Zarb-e-Azb

Operation Zarb-e-Azb (Pashto/Urdu: آپریشن ضربِ عضب ALA-LC: Āpres̱ẖan Ẓarb-i ʿAẓb; lit. 'Single Strike') was a joint military offensive conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces against various militant groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and Lashkar-e-Islam. The operation was launched on 15 June 2014 in North Waziristan along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as a renewed effort against militancy in the wake of the 8 June attack on Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, for which the TTP and the IMU claimed responsibility.[1][2] As of 14 July 2014, the operation internally displaced about 929,859 people belonging to 80,302 families from North Waziristan.[3]

Operation Zarb-e-Azb
Part of the Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
and the Global War on Terrorism

  • – North Waziristan
  • – FATA
  • – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Date15 June 2014 – 22 February 2017
Location
Pakistan
Status

Pakistani victory[18][19][20][21]

Belligerents

 Pakistan

Insurgent groups

Formerly:

 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant[16]

Commanders and leaders
Pakistan
Nawaz Sharif
(Prime Minister)
Zubair Mahmood Hayat
(Chairman Joint Chief of Staff)
Raheel Shareef
(Chief of Army Staff)
Commanders of Operation Zarb-e-Azb
Lieutenant-General Hidayat-ur-Rehman[23]
Major-General Zafar Khan[24]

Insurgent groups
Maulana Fazlullah †
Sheikh Khalid Haqqani
Sheharyar Mehsud
Adnan Rashid
Islamic State Usman Ghazi †[15][25]
Adnan el-Shukrijumah †

ISIL
Islamic State Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi  †
(Leader of ISIL)
Islamic State Abu Alaa Afri †
(Deputy Leader of ISIL)[26]
Islamic State Hafiz Saeed Khan †[27] (ISIL Emir of Afghanistan and Pakistan)
Islamic State Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost (2014–2015)[28][29]

Islamic State Usman Ghazi †[15][30]
Strength
Pakistan
20,000[31]–30,000[32]

Insurgent groups
Several thousand

ISIL
500-1000
Casualties and losses
Pakistan
490 killed[33][34][35][36][37]
1,914 injured[35][36]

Insurgent groups
3,500 killed[33][34]

ISIL
46+ killed[38]
929,859 internally displaced from North Waziristan (as of 14 July 2014)[3]
2 civilians killed, 1 injured[39][40]
140 civilians (mostly children) killed in TTP retaliation

Part of the war in North-West Pakistan, up to 30,000 Pakistani soldiers were involved in Zarb-e-Azb, described as a "comprehensive operation" to flush out all foreign and local militants hiding in North Waziristan.[41] The operation has received widespread support from the Pakistani political, defence and civilian sectors. As a consequence, the overall security situation improved and terrorist attacks in Pakistan dropped to a six-year low since 2008.[42] Zarb-e-Azb was followed by Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad which began in February 2017, following a resurgence in terrorist incidents.

  1. ^ Khan, Wajahat S (14 October 2014). "Zarb-e-Azb: Gear up for the 'forever war'". A series of special reports on Operation Zarb-e-Azb by the newspaper's National Security Editor. News International, 2014 editorial. News International. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  2. ^ "Zarb-e-Azb operation: 120 suspected militants killed in N Waziristan". Dawn. 15 June 2014. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Air raids flatten 5 militant hideouts". The Express Tribune. 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  4. ^ Saleem, Farukh (14 October 2014). "India disappointed by Zarb-e-Azb's success". The News International, editorial. The News International. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  5. ^ Khan, Tahir. "Anti-terrorism cooperation: Islamabad asks Kabul to extradite Fazlullah". The Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  6. ^ "Securing the "Durand Line"".
  7. ^ Zahir Shah Sherazi (4 June 2014). "Cross-border militant attacks kill four soldiers in Bajaur".
  8. ^ "US commander commends Zarb-e-Azb for disrupting Haqqani network's ability to target Afghanistan". The Express Tribune. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  9. ^ "Cross-border attack: 7 militants killed as Pak army check post targeted in Lower Dir". The Express Tribune. 30 July 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  10. ^ "Volatile frontiers: Attack on border post repulsed". The Express Tribune. 17 September 2014. Archived from the original on 23 September 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  11. ^ "Militants attack Pakistani post near Afghan border". Yahoo News. 16 September 2014.
  12. ^ "Militants attack Pakistani post near Afghan border". Associated Press. AP. 16 September 2014.
  13. ^ "3 FC personnel, 11 militants killed in North Waziristan cross-border attack". 16 September 2014.
  14. ^ a b "Pakistani splinter group rejoins Taliban amid fears of isolation". Reuters. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  15. ^ a b c d "IMU Declares It Is Now Part Of The Islamic State". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  16. ^ a b "ISIS Now Has Military Allies in 11 Countries – NYMag". Daily Intelligencer. 23 November 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  17. ^ "Pakistan Taliban splinter group vows allegiance to Islamic State". Reuters. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  18. ^ Javaid, U. and Javaid, R. (2016). Zarb-e-Azb: A Successful Initiative to Curtail Terrorism. South Asian Studies, 31(1), 281-296. - Argues that Operation Zarb-e-Azb was highly successful in dismantling terrorist networks in North Waziristan.
  19. ^ Khan, S.R. and Khan, A. (2020). From War to Peace: The Challenges and Opportunities in Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Environment Post Operation Zarb-e-Azb. Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, 15(2), 121-139. - Notes that Operation Zarb-e-Azb secured control over previous militant strongholds and denied them space.
  20. ^ Gulf News (2016, June 16). Two years after 'Zarb-e-Azb': Pakistan stronger against terror. https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/two-years-after-zarb-e-azb-pakistan-stronger-against-terror-1.1850692 - Contemporary news analysis of the success of Operation Zarb-e-Azb after two years.
  21. ^ Roul, A. (2016). How Operation Zarb-e-Azb Changed Pakistan’s Tribal Areas. Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor, 14(12), 5-7. - Discusses gains made by Pakistan army in previously uncontrolled tribal areas during the operation.
  22. ^ Weinbaum, Marvin G. (2017). "Insurgency and Violent Extremism in Pakistan". Small Wars & Insurgencies. 28 (1): 45. doi:10.1080/09592318.2016.1266130. S2CID 151596312.
  23. ^ "COAS orders to launch final phase of operation Zarb-e-Azb to clear 'remnants of terrorists'". Dunya tv. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  24. ^ "90% NWA areas cleared of terrorists: Mag Gen Zafar". Samaa TV. 15 November 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  25. ^ "Who are the Uzbeks launching terror strikes in Pakistan". The News International. 15 June 2014. Archived from the original on 17 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  26. ^ "Report: A former physics teacher is now leading ISIS — Business Insider". Business Insider. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  27. ^ "Where Islamic State stumbles in its war with al-Qaida - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 20 March 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  28. ^ "Released Gitmo detainee joins ISISNov. 19, 2014 - 2:30 - Former Taliban commander named chief of ISIS in Khorasa". fox news. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  29. ^ "Local support for dreaded Islamic State growing in Pakistan: Report". The Times of India. Times of India. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  30. ^ "IMU announces death of emir, names new leader". The Long War Journal. 4 August 2014.
  31. ^ Walsh, Declan (16 June 2014). "In Drive Against Militants, Pakistani Airstrikes Hit Strongholds". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  32. ^ Shah, Saeed (15 June 2014). "Pakistan Operation Targets Waziristan Militants". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  33. ^ a b "490 Pakistan soldiers, 3,500 militants killed in Operation Zarb-e-Azb". Economic Times. 15 June 2016. Archived from the original on 18 June 2016.
  34. ^ a b "490 Pakistani soldiers, 3,500 militants killed in two-year operation". Hindustan Times. 15 June 2016. Archived from the original on 15 June 2016. Nearly 500 Pakistani soldiers and 3,500 militants were killed during two-year long 'Operation Zarb-e-Azb' launched by the military to clear the restive tribal region of terrorists
  35. ^ a b "3,400 militants killed in Operation Zarb-e-Azb: ISPR". Express Tribune. 12 December 2015. Archived from the original on 16 December 2015.
  36. ^ a b "Zarb-i-Azb: Phenomenal success achieved, says ISPR". Dawn News. 12 December 2015. Archived from the original on 12 December 2015.
  37. ^ Syed, Baqir Sajjad (14 June 2015). "Conclusive phase of Zarb-i-Azb next month". Express Tribune. Archived from the original on 15 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  38. ^ "Militant commander Hafiz Saeed killed in Khyber blast". ARY NEWS. 17 April 2015.
  39. ^ "Operation Zarb-e-Azb updates archive". ISPR. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  40. ^ Gul, Pazir (16 June 2014). "Seven killed in clash between militant groups". Dawn. Archived from the original on 24 June 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  41. ^ "Pakistan Launches Offensive Against Militants Near Afghan Border". Huffington Post. Associated Press. 15 June 2014. Archived from the original on 19 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  42. ^ "Militant attacks declined after Zarb-e-Azb operation: report". The Nation. 17 June 2015. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2015.