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Operation Ghazi
	Part of the Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; and the War on Terror
Date	13 February 2017 – 30 September 2017
Location	Throughout Pakistan
Result	Pakistani victory
Belligerents
Pakistan	Jamaat-ul-Ahrar Supported by:; Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan; Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
Commanders and leaders
Pakistan; President; Mamnoon Hussain Prime Minister; Nawaz Sharif Army Chief; Qamar Javed Bajwa Chairman JCSC; Zubair Mahmood Hayat DG ISI; Naveed Mukhtar Air Chief; Sohail Aman Naval Chief; Muhammad Zakaullah	Jamaat-ul-Ahrar; Omar Khalid Khorasani Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan; Maulana Qazi Fazlullah
Strength
Pakistan Army; Pakistan Air Force; Civil Armed Forces; CIA drone strikes; Pakistan Police	Jamaat-ul-Ahrar
Casualties and losses
16 police officers killed,18+ injured	100+ militants killed

On 13 February 2017, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar released a video announcing the launch of "Operation Ghazi", named after Abdul Rashid Ghazi who was killed in July 2007 inside the Lal Masjid.^[4] The operation started with the suicide bombing at the Mall, in which 12 civilians and six police officers were killed.^[1]

In the video, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar stated that its future targets would be legislative bodies Pakistan Army, intelligence agencies and supporting institutions; interest-based economic institutions; INGOs/NGOs and civil society organisations involved in the advocacy of human rights, women's rights and community awareness campaigns; liberal writers, political leaders and workers; media persons; and coeducational private schools, colleges and universities.^[4]

The Centrum Media released a video statement from Abdul Rashid Ghazi's son, Haroon Rasheed Ghazi, addressing Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. "We should come up with a political solution. This bloodshed is not in the interest of anyone. Our stance is very clear; we do not endorse any violent activities," he said.

Operation Radd ul Fasaad

On 22 February 2017, in response to the Operation Ghazi, Pakistan Army launched Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad (lit. "Elimination of Discord") across the country.^[5] The operation aimed at indiscriminately eliminating residual threat of terrorism and consolidating gains of operations made so far. It further aimed at ensuring security of the borders. The countrywide de-weaponisation and explosive control were laid as the additional objectives of the operation.^[6]

Timeline

2017

February 2017

On 13 February 2017, a suicide bombing took place on the Mall in Lahore, where a group of chemists and pharmaceutical personnel were demonstrating at the Charing Cross.^[1]
The same day, 2 officers of the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) were killed and 12 others were injured, when a bomb BDS personnel were trying to defuse went off. The bomb was placed near Karachi Stop on Saryab road, Quetta.^[7]^[8]^[9]
On 15 February 2017, two attacks occurred in Ghalanai and Peshawar. In the first attack in Ghalanai, a suicide bomber killed three policemen and two civilians near an administrative building in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. An accomplice was shot and killed. A second suicide bomber failed to cause any casualties when his suicide vest detonated prematurely.^[2]

In the Peshawar bombing, a vehicle carrying local judges and government officials was targeted by suicide bombers. The driver and a civilian were killed and five others were injured.^[2]

On 16 February, the Punjab Police's Counter Terrorism Department raided a Jamaat-ul-Ahrar hideout in Multan and killed 6 militants, who had resisted the operation with firing and explosives.^[10]
On 21 February 2017, suicide bombers targeted a sessions court in Tangi, Charsadda District. Seven persons were killed and 21 were injured.^[11]

March 2017

On 5 March 2017, Pakistani military confirmed that 10 militants were killed and five soldiers lost their lives in attacks that took place in Mohmand Agency.^[12]
On 17 March 2017, al-Jazeera reported that Jamaat-ur-Ahrar militants attacked a Pakistani military border post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Afghanistan, killing two Pakistani soldiers. Six militants were also killed. Also that day a military operation in Rajgal Valley killed "several" LeI fighters, according to the Pakistani military media wing. Pakistan's military said it had foiled an attempted suicide attack on a paramilitary training centre in Shabqadar, in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, two suicide bombers and a soldier were killed in the attempted attack, while another soldier was wounded.^[13]
On 31 March 2017, at least 22 people have been killed and more than 70 injured in a blast outside a mosque in north-west Pakistan. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for the attack.^[14]