Seventeen terrorists killed and soldier martyred in two Balochistan operations, ISPR says
Security forces killed 17 terrorists in intelligence-based operations in Balochistan's Kachhi and Kharan districts on 1 November, the military's media wing said on Tuesday, while Sepoy Hikmatullah was martyred during an exchange of fire.
Pakistan's security forces killed 17 terrorists in two intelligence-based operations in Balochistan, while a soldier was martyred during an exchange of fire, the military's media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
According to the ISPR, the operations were carried out on 1 November in the Kachhi and Kharan districts of Balochistan, after reports of the presence of terrorists it described as belonging to Indian proxy groups. The military said the 17 killed were Indian-sponsored terrorists, a characterisation that reflects Pakistan's official position on militancy in the province.
The first operation took place in the Sanni area of Kachhi district. Security forces, acting on intelligence, moved against a group that the ISPR said was attempting to establish a roadblock. The statement said the attempt was thwarted by proactive action, and 10 terrorists were killed in the resulting engagement. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the site, the military added.
The second operation was conducted in Kharan district, where security forces raided what the ISPR described as a terrorist hideout. An intense exchange of fire followed, during which seven more terrorists were killed. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered there, according to the statement.
It was during the Kharan operation that Sepoy Hikmatullah was martyred. The ISPR said the 25-year-old soldier, a resident of Karak district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, fought gallantly before embracing martyrdom in the intense fire exchange. His death was the only casualty reported among the security forces in the two operations.
The ISPR identified the groups targeted in the operations as Fitna al-Hindustan and Fitna al-Khawarij, the labels Pakistan uses for Balochistan-based militant groups and for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan respectively. The federal government has formally designated militant groups operating in Balochistan as Fitna al-Hindustan, accusing India of sponsoring a proxy campaign in the province, an allegation New Delhi has previously rejected in other contexts.
President Asif Ali Zardari commended the security forces for the two operations and paid tribute to Sepoy Hikmatullah, saying the brave sons of the security forces were a source of pride for the nation and expressing condolences to the bereaved family. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also praised the forces for killing the 17 terrorists and paid tribute to the martyred soldier, praying for the elevation of his ranks.
The operations are the latest in a sustained counterterrorism campaign in Balochistan, where security forces have carried out a series of intelligence-based actions in recent weeks. Days earlier, the ISPR said nine terrorists had been killed in two separate operations in Kachhi and Wadh districts on 26 October, underlining the tempo of operations in the province.
In its statement, the military linked the latest operations to the counterterrorism campaign under the vision of Azm-e-Istehkam, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan. The ISPR said the campaign would continue at full pace to eliminate what it called the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.
For residents of Kachhi and Kharan, the operations form part of a wider security effort that has seen repeated clashes between security forces and militant groups, with roadblocks, hideouts and ambushes a recurring feature of the conflict. The military has not released further details about the identities of those killed beyond its description of their affiliations, and no independent account of the two engagements has yet been published.
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