Since July 5, security forces have eliminated at least 117 terrorists in Balochistan through Operation Shaban and other coordinated law enforcement actions. This joint operation, involving the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC), and police, remains active and will persist until all militants are neutralized in the province.
Notably, the operation targets India-backed terrorists using a combination of air and ground assaults. Earlier on Monday, five additional terrorists were killed during fresh engagements, bringing the total number of militants eliminated in Operation Shaban to 76. Authorities also recovered a significant cache of weapons and ammunition from the slain militants, including M4 rifles, submachine guns, rocket launchers, mobile phones, and other equipment.
Operation Shaban was initiated following a deadly attack on the Mangi Dam police station in Ziarat, which resulted in the deaths of 42 individuals, including security personnel and civilians, across three recent terrorist incidents in Balochistan. In a significant development, ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated last week that India-backed terrorists had assaulted a checkpoint, but police forces responded valiantly, killing 15 militants during the initial clash. Unfortunately, nine police officers were martyred in the fighting, and militants took some police personnel hostage before reinforcements arrived.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has experienced a rise in terrorist activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban assumed power in 2021. In response, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, targeting terrorist hideouts across the Afghan border, resulting in the deaths of numerous Afghan Taliban operatives and injuring many others. Despite multiple rounds of dialogue, no agreement has been reached, primarily due to the Afghan Taliban regime’s unwillingness to take action against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory.
