Pakistan Army Says 48 Militants Killed in Balochistan Operations
Pakistani forces killed 48 militants in raids across Balochistan, targeting groups like the BLA and TTP, and recovered arms.
Pakistan's military announced on Friday that security forces have killed 48 militants during a series of intelligence-led operations in the country's southwestern province of Balochistan over the past three days.
The raids were carried out in the districts of Mastung, Sibi, Quetta, and Kalat, according to a military statement. The operations also led to the recovery of a significant cache of weapons from the hideouts.
The military referred to those killed as "Khawarij," a term used by the Pakistani government to describe members of banned militant organizations, including the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The statement also characterized the slain militants as "Indian-sponsored terrorists," though no evidence was provided to support this claim.
Security forces have continued search operations in the area to locate any remaining militants.
Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province by area but sparsely populated, has been the epicenter of a long-running separatist insurgency led by the outlawed BLA. The group has been responsible for numerous attacks in the region in recent years.
The latest operations come a day after the military reported killing 15 militants who were attempting to cross into Pakistan from neighboring Afghanistan.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant violence in recent months, with much of it attributed to the TTP. Islamabad maintains that TTP leaders and fighters have found safe haven in Afghanistan since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, an allegation that Kabul denies.