RAWALPINDI: Security forces have killed 18 terrorists linked to the India-sponsored outfit Fitna al-Hindustan during two separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted in Balochistan on October 28 and 29, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
According to the ISPR, the first operation took place in the Chiltan Mountains area of Quetta district, where troops acted on intelligence reports about the presence of militants. During the exchange of heavy fire, 14 terrorists were killed as the forces successfully targeted their stronghold.
In another coordinated operation in the Buleda area of Kech district, security personnel raided a terrorist hideout, resulting in the elimination of four more militants. A large cache of weapons, ammunition, and explosives was also seized from both locations.
The ISPR stated that the slain militants had been actively involved in numerous attacks targeting civilians and security forces in the province. Sanitization operations are currently underway to clear the surrounding areas of any remaining hostile elements.
“These operations are part of Pakistan’s ongoing Counter-Terrorism campaign ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’, approved under the National Action Plan by the Federal Apex Committee,” the ISPR noted, reaffirming that security and law enforcement agencies remain fully committed to eradicating foreign-backed terrorism from the country.
Earlier this week, a similar IBO was conducted in the Dogar area of Kurram district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, against Fitna al-Khawarij, another Indian-backed group. That operation resulted in the deaths of seven militants but also claimed the lives of six brave soldiers, including Captain Noman Saleem, a 24-year-old medical officer from Mianwali, who fought courageously alongside his team.
The fallen soldiers — Havildar Amjad Ali (39, Swabi), Naik Waqas Ahmad (36, Rawalpindi), Sepoy Aijaz Ali (23, Shikarpur), Sepoy Muhammad Waleed (23, Jhelum), and Sepoy Muhammad Shahbaz (32, Khairpur) — were hailed for their supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.
The ISPR reiterated that Pakistan’s armed forces remain unwavering in their resolve to secure peace and stability by decisively eliminating all threats of foreign-sponsored terrorism from its soil.
