By Staff Reporter
QUETTA: Pakistani security forces killed four terrorists in an intelligence-based operation in the Mastung area of Balochistan province on Friday, the military said, describing the militants as part of an Indian-sponsored group intent on destabilising the country.
The operation, which followed reports of terrorist activity in the region, marked the latest in a series of intensified efforts to curb a surge in violence in Pakistan’s restive provinces.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said the operation targeted members of a group it labeled “Fitna al Hindustan,” a term used by Pakistani authorities to designate Balochistan-based militants allegedly backed by India. The statement accused the group of orchestrating terrorist activities aimed at undermining Pakistan’s stability.
“During the conduct of [the] operation, own forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, four Indian-sponsored terrorists were sent to hell,” the ISPR said in a statement. It added that security forces recovered weapons, ammunition, and explosives from the site, underscoring the militants’ active role in attacks in the area.
The operation comes amid a broader wave of violence in Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), where security forces have been grappling with a resurgence of militant activity. Just a day earlier, the ISPR reported that 19 terrorists were killed in three separate operations across KP, signaling the military’s stepped-up campaign against insurgent groups.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised the security forces for their swift action in Mastung, emphasizing the operation’s success in disrupting what he described as an Indian-backed plot. “Pakistan’s security forces thwarted the nefarious designs of Indian-backed terrorists,” Naqvi wrote on X, the social media platform. “I pay tribute to the security forces for their successful operation against Indian-sponsored terrorists.”
Friday’s operation in Mastung reflects Pakistan’s ongoing struggle with militancy, particularly in its border regions. Balochistan, a resource-rich but sparsely populated province, has long been a hotspot for separatist insurgencies and terrorist groups. The government has increasingly pointed to foreign involvement, particularly alleging that India supports groups like Fitna al Hindustan to destabilize the country.
The ISPR said a “sanitisation operation” was underway to ensure no other militants remained in the area. “The security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country, and reaffirm the nation’s unwavering resolve to bring the perpetrators of terrorism to justice,” the statement read.
The operation follows a pattern of heightened militant activity in Pakistan, particularly since November 2022, when the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended a fragile ceasefire with the government and vowed to escalate attacks on security forces, police, and other law enforcement personnel. The TTP, which the state refers to as “Fitna al Khwarij,” has been blamed for a string of deadly assaults, particularly in KP, where its fighters have exploited rugged terrain and porous borders to stage attacks.
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