QUETTA; Security forces killed three more militants in Balochistan’s Zhob district, raising the total number of terrorists eliminated in a four-day anti-infiltration operation in the Sambaza area, near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, to 50.
According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Tuesday, the latest engagement took place during the night between August 10 and 11. Weapons, ammunition, and explosives were recovered from the slain militants, who were identified as members of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), described by the military as an Indian proxy group, Fitna al-Khwarij.
“Security forces remain committed to protecting the nation’s borders and foiling all attempts to undermine Pakistan’s peace, stability, and progress,” the ISPR said.
The latest killings followed an encounter on the night of August 7–8 in which 33 militants attempting to cross from Afghanistan were neutralised, and another operation on August 9 in which 14 more were gunned down, bringing the tally to 47 before the most recent clash.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif both praised the armed forces for their success. President Zardari reiterated the nation’s solidarity with its military, vowing that the war on terrorism would continue until its complete eradication. Prime Minister Shehbaz lauded the professional skills of the security forces, pledging that the fight would persist “until terrorism is wiped out in toto” and paying tribute to troops for their sacrifices.
The army has previously accused India of stepping up a proxy war against Pakistan after its defeat in the May conflict, warning that such proxies would face the same fate as New Delhi — “a crushing defeat.”
Pakistan has faced an uptick in cross-border terrorism since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the border regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
A report by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) recorded 78 terrorist attacks in June alone, leaving at least 100 people dead — including 53 security personnel, 39 civilians, six militants, and two members of local peace committees. Another 189 people were injured, among them 126 security officials and 63 civilians. In total, June’s violence and operations resulted in 175 deaths, comprising 55 security personnel, 77 militants, 41 civilians, and two peace committee members.
