ISLAMABAD, Jul 25 (Alliance News): Security forces have killed at least 13 terrorists during the ongoing intelligence-based Operation Al-Azm in Balochistan, as efforts continue to eliminate militant networks and their facilitators in the province, security sources said on Saturday.
According to security sources, the latest operation in the Khad Kocha area of Mastung inflicted heavy losses on what officials described as Fitna al-Hindustan, with the total number of terrorists killed during the ongoing operation rising to 13.
The operation targeted terrorist hideouts, several of which were destroyed during the clearance mission. Security forces also recovered a cache of weapons, ammunition and materials used for manufacturing improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Sources said several militants were also injured during the operation, while security forces continued search and clearance activities to eliminate any remaining terrorist elements from the area.
The latest success follows intelligence-based operations conducted earlier this week in Mastung and Surab districts, where security forces killed 10 terrorists and arrested two female suicide bombers.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operations are part of an ongoing campaign against terrorist networks operating in Balochistan. The military’s media wing said comprehensive joint operations are being conducted across different parts of the province to eliminate terrorists and their facilitators.
The ISPR stated that multiple intelligence-based area sanitisation and targeted operations had been launched in Surab and Mastung districts, resulting in significant setbacks for militant groups.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eliminating terrorism, stating that India’s involvement in terrorist activities inside Pakistan was “absolutely clear.”
He urged the nation to remain united in confronting terrorism and paid tribute to the sacrifices made by security forces and civilians in the fight against militancy.
The prime minister noted that more than 90,000 Pakistanis had embraced martyrdom in the country’s long campaign against terrorism and expressed grief over the recent killing of a sessions judge in Mastung.
He also said the Afghan Taliban administration had failed to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan, adding that terrorism, which had largely been brought under control by 2018, had resurfaced through what he described as an organised conspiracy.
Pakistan has witnessed a renewed wave of terrorist incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since 2021. In response, security forces have intensified intelligence-based operations and border security measures to dismantle militant networks and safeguard national security.
Security officials reaffirmed that counterterrorism operations would continue until all terrorist elements and their support networks were eliminated, emphasizing that the country’s armed forces remain committed to ensuring peace and stability across Pakistan.
