By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed four militants accused of being sponsored by India during an intelligence-based operation in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan, the military said on Tuesday, amid a broader surge in attacks that has strained the country’s efforts to contain terrorism.
The operation unfolded on Jan. 12 in Kalat district, where troops acted on reports of militants belonging to what the military described as “Fitna al Hindustan,” a term Pakistan uses for groups it claims are backed by New Delhi. In an intense exchange of fire, the forces engaged the militants’ position, gunning down the four men and recovering weapons and ammunition from the site, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations, the military’s media wing.
The slain militants had been actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area, the statement said. “Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored terrorists found in the area.”
Balochistan, the country’s largest province by area, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, has been plagued by a low-level insurgency led by Baloch separatists, including the Balochistan Liberation Army and the Balochistan Liberation Front, who seek greater autonomy or independence. The raid came as Pakistan grapples with a sharp escalation in militant violence, particularly in provinces abutting Afghanistan, since the Taliban seized power there in 2021.
In a news conference on Jan. 6, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations, detailed the toll of the previous year, saying law enforcement agencies had conducted 75,175 intelligence-based operations nationwide in 2025. Breaking it down, he reported 14,658 operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 58,778 in Balochistan and 1,739 in other parts of the country. Those efforts responded to 5,397 reported terrorism incidents, with 3,811 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,557 in Balochistan and 29 elsewhere.
Security forces killed 2,597 terrorists in counterterrorism operations last year, General Chaudhry said, while highlighting 10 major attacks that deliberately targeted civilians and soft targets, all involving Afghan militants.
The military vowed to press on with its campaign, known as “Azm e Istehkam,” declaring that the “relentless counter terrorism campaign by the security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.”
In a sign of the unrelenting pressure, militants killed four members of such a peace committee in northwestern Pakistan’s Bannu district on Tuesday, a police official confirmed. The victims, all businessmen actively involved in anti-Taliban efforts, were attacked while travelling in a car in an area under the Huwaid Police Station’s jurisdiction.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Raza Khan identified the deceased as Naseeb Ur Rehman, Hamid Naseeb, Ziaullah and a man known as “Fauji.” “All four were businessmen and were actively involved with the Peace Committee in efforts against the Taliban,” Mr. Khan said. These committees, comprising tribal elders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who oppose groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or Pakistani Taliban, have been frequent targets since their formation during the 2007-2014 conflict to defend villages and report militant movements.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack, expressing sorrow over the losses. “All conspiracies aimed at undermining peace efforts in KP would be thwarted,” he said, adding that the nation stands united to foil the designs of the Pakistani Taliban and reaffirming the government’s commitment to restoring peace in the province.
The Bannu killings followed an improvised explosive device blast a day earlier that claimed the lives of six police officers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district. No group claimed responsibility for either incident, though the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has admitted to some of the deadliest recent strikes on security forces, including ambushes on convoys, police stations and checkpoints, as well as kidnappings of officials.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan government of allowing its soil to be used by armed groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and has alleged Indian support for militants targeting Pakistan.
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