ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's security forces killed two militants during an intelligence-based operation in the country’s southwestern Balochistan province, said an official statement of the military's public relations wing, ISPR, on Saturday.
It added the two militants were involved in various acts of violence against civilians and security forces, adding that a significant quantity of arms and ammunition were also recovered during the operation which was carried out in Kharan district.
Security forces also lost one of its soldiers during the exchange of fire with the militants, the statement continued.
Balochistan has witnessed a low-intensity insurgency by separatist factions who believe the province’s mineral resources have been exploited by other parts of Pakistan.
These groups have stepped up their activities in recent years after Pakistan and China joined hands to build an economic corridor which originates from Balochistan's Gwadar port city.
Pakistan has also been fencing its western border to control the security situation since it believes most of these militants have found sanctuary in its neighborhood and operate from there.
Pakistan kills two militants in intelligence-based operation in Kharan
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Pakistan kills two militants in intelligence-based operation in Kharan
- Security forces recovered arms and ammunition while carrying out the operation
- The military's public relations wing says a soldier lost his life while fighting with the militants
Pakistan to launch first national anti-polio drive of 2026 today to vaccinate millions
- Pakistani health volunteers will aim to vaccinate over 45 million children from Feb. 2-8, reports state media
- Pakistan reported 31 polio cases last year, which were significantly lower than the 74 cases it reported in 2024
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani health authorities will launch the year’s first national anti-polio drive today, Monday, to vaccinate over 45 million children against the virus, state media reported as Islamabad aims to eliminate the disease.
Eliminating poliovirus remains a critical health initiative of Pakistan, which along with Afghanistan, is one of only two countries worldwide where the virus is endemic. Pakistan reported 31 cases of polio in 2025, which authorities say is a significant decline from the alarming 74 cases of the disease it reported in 2024.
Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq announced last month that the anti-polio vaccination campaign will be conducted across the country from Feb. 2 to 8, during which over 45 million children under the age of five will be targeted. She said a total of 400,000 trained health volunteers will go door-to-door to administer polio drops to children.
“A varied duration anti-polio campaign in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will begin from tomorrow [Monday],” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday.
The National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC), in an earlier statement, said six national polio campaigns were conducted across the country in 2025. The NEOC urged parents to fully cooperate with polio teams and ensure their children receive polio drops.
Polio workers and their security escorts have repeatedly been targeted in militant attacks, particularly in parts of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan provinces, complicating efforts to vaccinate children in remote areas.
A gun attack targeting a polio vaccination team in Pakistan’s northwestern Bajaur district in December 2025 left one police constable and a civilian dead.
Natural disasters, such as floods, have also disrupted vaccination campaigns in recent years.
