Pakistani security forces expanded Operation Shaban across Balochistan after the recent terrorist attack on the Mangi Dam Police Station, with officials claiming that dozens of suspected militants have been killed as ground offensives and helicopter-backed operations continue in the province’s rugged mountainous terrain.
According to security sources, the joint operation involving the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC), and Balochistan Police has entered an intensified phase, with troops tightening the cordon around suspected militant hideouts and carrying out coordinated search-and-clearance missions.
Officials said 26 militants, identified by security sources as members of Fitna al-Khawarij, were killed during operations on July 6 and 7. They added that another 13 suspected militants were killed over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of militants killed in Operation Shaban to 39.
Security officials said helicopter gunships continue to support ground forces operating in difficult mountain terrain as efforts remain focused on tracking down and eliminating the remaining militants.
Authorities said security forces thwarted an attempted terrorist assault on a police station in Khuzdar’s Zaidi area early Thursday. According to security sources, Pakistan Army and FC personnel responded swiftly, killing eight militants during the initial exchange of fire. Follow-up aerial operations reportedly eliminated another five to six suspected militants attempting to flee the area.
Security officials further claimed that, since July 5, at least 75 militants have been killed in Operation Shaban and other intelligence-based operations carried out across Balochistan.
Earlier this week, DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry reaffirmed the military’s resolve to continue counterterrorism operations until militant networks are dismantled. He said security forces killed 54 militants during recent operations, while 42 people, including civilians and personnel of the Balochistan Police, lost their lives in the attacks.
Lieutenant General Sharif alleged that India and other hostile actors are backing terrorist groups to undermine Pakistan’s peace, stability, and economic progress. He also claimed that militants are operating from areas under the control of the Afghan Taliban, where they receive logistical support and manpower.
He further said the militant groups were attempting to create instability as Pakistan continues its policy of repatriating undocumented Afghan nationals, adding that such efforts would not weaken the country’s determination to eradicate terrorism.
ISPR chief said Pakistan’s security forces would continue pursuing terrorists and their facilitators wherever they operate, vowing that the campaign against militancy would continue without discrimination.
