RAWALPINDI (MNN); Security forces killed 12 terrorists and successfully prevented an attempt to create a hostage situation during multiple operations in Balochistan’s Kharan district, the military’s media wing said on Thursday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), on January 15, around 15 to 20 Indian-sponsored terrorists linked to Fitna Al Hindustan carried out coordinated terrorist activities in Kharan city. The state has designated Balochistan-based militant groups as Fitna Al Hindustan to underline India’s alleged involvement in terrorism and destabilisation efforts in Pakistan.
The ISPR said the terrorists attacked the City Police Station, the National Bank of Pakistan, and Habib Bank Limited, and looted Rs3.4 million from the banks.
Security forces responded swiftly and engaged the attackers, forcing them to retreat. During subsequent clearance operations, 12 terrorists were killed in three separate encounters.
The ISPR added that the militants’ plan to take hostages at the police station was effectively foiled. A sanitisation operation is currently underway in and around Kharan to eliminate any remaining threats.
The statement said Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue their intensive counterterrorism campaign under the vision of Azm-e-Istehkam, as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, to eradicate foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.
Despite high militant casualties, Pakistan witnessed a sharp rise in militant violence in 2025. A report by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies noted a 34 percent increase in terrorist attacks and a 21 percent rise in terrorism-related fatalities compared to the previous year.
Earlier this month, ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said during a press briefing that law enforcement agencies, including the army, police, Federal Constabulary, and intelligence services, conducted a total of 75,175 intelligence-based operations in 2025.
He said 14,658 operations were carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 58,778 in Balochistan, and 1,739 in other parts of the country. According to ISPR data, 5,397 terrorist incidents were recorded in 2025, with 71 percent reported from KP, 29 percent from Balochistan, and the remaining cases from other regions.
On January 13, ISPR had also reported that four terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan’s Kalat district.
