KALAT; Security forces killed four Indian-sponsored terrorists in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Balochistan’s Kalat district, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said on Tuesday.
According to the ISPR, the operation was carried out on the night of November 1 following credible intelligence reports about the presence of militants linked to Indian proxy network “Fitna al-Hindustan.”
The state has recently begun referring to Indian-backed militant networks operating in Balochistan under this term to underscore India’s alleged role in sponsoring terrorism and destabilisation in Pakistan.
The statement said that during the operation, security forces effectively engaged the militants’ hideout, killing four terrorists described as “Indian-sponsored.”
Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the site. The slain militants were reportedly involved in multiple acts of terrorism targeting civilians and security forces.
Sanitisation operations are continuing in the surrounding areas to eliminate any remaining militant elements, the ISPR added. It reiterated that Pakistan’s security and law enforcement agencies remain fully committed to eradicating all forms of foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded the armed forces for the successful operation. The president, in his statement on social media platform X, said the entire nation stands with its security forces under Operation Azm-i-Istehkam. The prime minister reaffirmed that Pakistan’s fight against terrorism would continue until its complete elimination from the country.
The operation follows a similar engagement in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a day earlier, where three terrorists were killed during two separate encounters.
Pakistan has witnessed a renewed surge in terrorist activities in recent months, mainly targeting police and security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan following the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) breach of its ceasefire with the government in 2022.
