QUETTA: Pakistani security forces killed 24 militants in separate operations in the country’s two western provinces, while four soldiers also lost their lives, including two in an armed drone attack, the military said on Saturday.

The operations took place in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan, where Pakistan has stepped up its campaign against militants amid a surge in violence. The military said suspected militants used armed quadcopters to attack patrol vehicles in Balochistan, highlighting what it described as the growing use of drones and other technologies against security forces.

“On 14 November 2026, FAH terrorists targeted military vehicles on patrol with armed quadcopters,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said in a statement, referring to “Fitna al Hindustan,” a term Pakistani authorities use for Baloch separatist militant groups they accuse of receiving Indian support.

It identified the two soldiers killed in the attack as Major Omer Minhas Nasir and Havildar Muhammad Adnan Khan.

The military said security forces had killed eight militants, including a suicide bomber, during an overnight operation on Nov. 13-14 near Kolpur in Balochistan, recovering a large cache of weapons and ammunition.

It said intelligence-based operations had been underway around Kolpur, Kardagap and Nushki since Friday, including patrols along the Quetta-Taftan highway to ensure safe passage for civilian traffic.

“Backed by India and other hostile intelligence agencies, FAH is actively trying to use drones and other technical means, including IEDs, to target innocent civilians and Security Forces,” the military said, referring to improvised explosive devices.

It also accused India of financing the militants and supplying them with advanced equipment. New Delhi has repeatedly denied Pakistani allegations that it supports militancy in the country.

Earlier in the day, the military said security forces had killed 16 suspected militants in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in separate intelligence-based operations in North Waziristan district over the preceding 12 hours.

Twelve militants belonging to the Pakistani Taliban, including two Afghan nationals, were killed in the Ali Khel area, while two militants each were killed in Mir Ali and Datakhel, according to the ISPR.

The military said two soldiers, Havildar Asmat Ali and Naik Aftab Ali, were also killed during the operations.

It said weapons and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants, whom it accused of involvement in attacks on civilians and security personnel.

Pakistan has witnessed a surg in militant violence in recent years, particularly in its two western provinces, where the Pakistani Taliban and Baloch separatist groups have separately targeted security forces and government installations.

Pakistani security forces have intensified counterterrorism operations in both provinces in recent months. The military said on Friday that 74 militants had been killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan since Nov. 3.

The military said its operations would continue, adding that they aim to eliminate militant networks and prevent attacks on civilians and security forces.