ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top generals on Thursday vowed to “decimate” militant groups operating in its western provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a day after a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device targeted a school bus in the Khuzdar district in the southwest, killing four children and two adults.
The military’s pledge follows a sharp escalation in militant violence across Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan, where separatist groups like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) have launched increasingly coordinated attacks on civilians and security forces. Earlier this year, a BLA assault on a passenger train led to a hostage situation, reflecting the growing scale and sophistication of the insurgency.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused India of backing these groups to destabilize the country, an allegation New Delhi has denied, attributing Pakistan’s security troubles to internal failures.
Thursday’s statement followed a meeting of Pakistan’s top army leadership to review the country’s internal and external security environment. The huddle, chaired by Field Marshal Asim Munir, was the first since a recent military standoff with India, during which both sides exchanged missile and drone attacks.
“The Forum deliberated in depth on the threat posed by India-backed terrorist proxies operating in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement.
“The Forum resolved that Pakistan will never allow its peace to be compromised by externally sponsored terrorism,” it continued. “The Armed Forces, in close synergy with intelligence and law enforcement agencies, will pursue all proxies and facilitators of terrorism with unrelenting resolve. These hostile elements, trained and financed to incite chaos and fear, will be dismantled and decimated with full force of national will and institutional strength.”
The generals condemned the Khuzdar attack as a “reprehensible violation” of international norms, particularly due to the deliberate targeting of children.
They also offered prayers for victims of both the Khuzdar bombing and recent casualties from Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, the military campaign launched in response to Indian strikes.
Field Marshal Munir reiterated Pakistan’s strategic stance on national defense, declaring that “no one can coerce Pakistan through the use or threat of force.”
He also praised the professionalism and readiness of the armed forces and lauded the resilience of Pakistani civilians, youth and political leadership during recent hostilities.
“The people of Pakistan are our greatest strength,” he said during the meeting. “We remain committed to their trust and expectations in our shared struggle against any foreign aggression, terrorism and extremism.”
