Security forces eliminate 16 Indian-sponsored terrorists in Balochistan IBOs: ISPR

Since September 21, security forces have been engaged in counter-terrorism operations in Balochistan, resulting in the killing of 33 terrorists. The operations targeted members of the Fitna-al-Khawarij and Fitna-al-Hindustan groups, with the latter being designated Balochistan-based groups linked to India's role in terrorism. On September 24, as part of Operation Shaban, security forces dismantled additional terrorist hideouts and engaged in a fierce firefight, killing five of the Indian-sponsored terrorists.

This brought the total number of killed terrorists to 22. Weapons, ammunition, and explosives were recovered from the locations of these terrorists, and the clean-up operation will persist until the complete neutralization of the threat. Another engagement took place on September 25 in Nushki district, where security forces engaged and killed 11 terrorists after an intense firefight.

President Asif Ali Zardari praised the security forces for their successful operations against the Indian-backed terrorist groups in Balochistan, vowing to thwart the nefarious designs of these elements at all costs. Balochistan has seen an increase in terrorist attacks in recent weeks, with the number of attacks rising by seven percent from 83 in July to 89 in August.

In a separate operation on September 22, 19 terrorists were killed in intelligence-based operations in Shaban, Kech, and Quetta West, along with the martyrdom of a soldier. Intelligence agencies reported the presence of multiple hideouts of Indian-sponsored terrorist groups in Quetta district's Shaban area, posing a threat to the local population.

On September 22, six terrorists were killed, and nine suspected individuals were arrested during an operation in Saran Tangi area, along with a large cache of ammunition and weapons. Four more terrorists belonging to a banned organization were killed in Panjgur district on September 22 during an intelligence-based operation.