ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army said that 18 militants and three civilians were killed in separate incidents in the southwestern Balochistan province on Wednesday, while two soldiers were also injured.
The first incident took place on the morning of Aug. 12, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) detonated as it was being prepared by militants in the Surab district, the military’s media wing said. The premature detonation caused the killing of eight militants who were affiliated with “Fitna Al Hindustan,” the army said, a term it uses for separatist militants in Balochistan. It said three civilians in the nearby area were also killed due to the explosion.
The army said security forces and Balochistan Police arrived at the site after the blast and engaged “terrorists” who were fleeing form the area. He said ten more militants were killed in the intense exchange of fire while two soldiers suffered injuries.
“Sanitization operations continue in the area to eliminate any remaining terrorists,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said.
The military vowed security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue their counterterror campaign against “foreign sponsored” militants at full pace.
Pakistan blames India for supporting separatist militants in Balochistan, a charge New Delhi denies. Islamabad also accuses Kabul of harboring militants that launch attacks against Pakistani law enforcers and civilians in Balochistan and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
Afghanistan denies these allegations and urges Pakistan to resolve its security issues by itself.
Pakistani forces have increased their counterterror operations against militants in Balochistan amid a spike in attacks in recent months. Last month, separatist militant group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) launched coordinated attacks in Balochistan, prompting the security forces to launch a joint anti-militancy campaign involving the army, paramilitary forces and police.
The army said last Sunday that security forces killed 15 suspected militants in intelligence-based operations in Balochistan. On Tuesday, the military said security forces killed five separatist militants in Panjgur district.
Militant groups such as the BLA accuse the federal government and the security forces of denying locals a share in the province’s mineral resources. Islamabad denies the allegations and points to several infrastructure development and livelihood projects launched for the residents of the province.
