Security forces killed more than nine terrorists in intelligence-based operations across Balochistan, state media reported on Tuesday. The operations took place in Ziarat, Harnai, and Surab. They were carried out under Operation Rad-ul-Fitna 3. Pakistan TV said security forces recovered arms and ammunition from the slain militants.
Key Highlights
- Security forces kill more than nine terrorists in Ziarat, Harnai, and Surab
- Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praises the operation’s outcome
- 02 terrorists killed a day earlier in Killi Zaik
- 07 terrorists killed Sunday in Kharan’s Lajay area
- Balochistan’s death toll rose 241 percent in July compared to June, per PICSS
Security forces have eliminated over nine terrorists during a series of intelligence-based operations (IBOs) targeting terrorist hideouts across various districts of Balochistan.
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Naqvi Praises Security Forces, Vows Continued Operations
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi commended the security forces following the operations. His ministry issued a statement on X praising what it called their professional capabilities. The statement said Naqvi credited the forces for eliminating more than nine militants linked to a group the state refers to as Fitna-al-Hindustan.
Naqvi said operations against Fitna-al-Hindustan and Fitna-al-Khawarij remain underway with full force. He added that these operations will continue. The state uses the term Fitna-al-Khawarij for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. It uses Fitna-al-Hindustan for Balochistan-based militant groups, a label meant to highlight what Pakistan describes as India’s alleged role in fueling terrorism and instability across the country.
Part of a Continuing String of Operations
Tuesday’s action follows a steady run of similar operations in Balochistan over the past several days. On Monday, security forces killed two militants and injured three others in the Killi Zaik area. That came a day after forces killed seven militants during an operation in Kharan’s Lajay area.
The pattern goes back further still. On Saturday, security forces killed ten militants and injured several others in the Shor Pard area of Khuzdar district. This came after the military reported the deaths of at least 18 militants in Surab, Balochistan. Eight of these militants died in a premature detonation days earlier.
A Province Under Growing Pressure
The frequency of these operations shows that the security situation has worsened in recent months. A monthly report from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, released on July 31, stated that Balochistan experienced the worst security decline in the country last month.
The province’s overall death toll jumped 241 percent to 372 in July from 109 in June. Security personnel deaths jumped from six to 62, a 933 percent increase. Militant deaths rose from 75 to 238 in the same period. Civilian deaths jumped 93 percent, to 54 from 28. The toll reveals how much the conflict affects daily life in the province. During the month, eighteen members of local peace committees were killed.
