ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have killed 17 militants and injured several others in separate counterterror operations in the country’s southwestern Balochistan province in the last 24 hours, state media reported on Sunday.
State broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported that security forces killed 10 militants in the mountainous area of Shor Parod in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district on Saturday.
Citing security sources, the state media said that the operation was carried out on the basis of credible intelligence obtained about the presence of “terrorists” affiliated with “Fitna Al Hindustan” in the area. The military and government use this term to describe militant based in Balochistan who carry out attacks against law enforcers and civilians.
The second operation took place in the southwestern Kharan district in Balochistan, Radio Pakistan said on Sunday. It added that seven militants of the “Fitna-ul-Khawarij,” a term the military uses for Pakistani Taliban group TTP, were killed by security forces.
“Security forces completely destroyed the hideouts of Fitna-ul-Khawarij terrorists during the operation,” Radio Pakistan reported.
“Modern weapons, a large amount of ammunition, other war material, two vehicles and a motorcycle were also recovered from the terrorists.”
Citing security sources, the report said the slain “terrorists” were involved in planning looting, extortion, kidnapping for ransom, target killings and suicide attacks in Kharan and Lajay areas.
Pakistan has been grappling with a surge in militant activities in Balochistan and its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021.
Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring militants on its soil that carry out attacks against Pakistani law enforcers and citizens. Afghanistan denies the charges and urges Pakistan to resolve its security challenged by itself.
Pakistan accuses India of also supporting militant groups carry out attacks in Balochistan and KP, charges that New Delhi denies.
At least 11 people, including six policemen, were injured on Friday in two separate attacks in Balochistan, police officials said, as the nation marked its 80th Independence Day.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province that borders Iran and Afghanistan, has witnessed an uptick in attacks by separatist militants in recent years.
The separatists accuse the central government of stealing the region’s resources to fund development elsewhere in the country. The Pakistani government denies the allegations and says it is working to uplift the local communities in Balochistan.
