117 militants killed in Balochistan operations since July 5, say security sources

QUETTA: At least 117 militants have been killed in Operation Shaban and other law enforcement operations across Balochistan since July 5, according to security sources.

The sources said on Monday that the ongoing Operation Shaban is a joint campaign involving the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and police, and would continue in the province until the last militant is eliminated. They added that militants described by them as India-backed are being targeted through both air and ground operations.

Earlier in the day, the same sources said five more militants were killed in fresh operations in the province, taking the number of those killed in Operation Shaban to 76. They also said a large cache of weapons and ammunition was recovered from the slain militants, including M4 rifles, submachine guns, rocket launchers, mobile phones and other equipment.

According to the sources, Operation Shaban was launched after the attack on the Mangi Dam police station in Ziarat. 42 people, including security personnel and civilians, were martyred in three recent militant attacks in Balochistan.

Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had said last week that militants described by him as India-backed had attacked the checkpoint, but police personnel resisted and killed 15 militants in the initial exchange. He had also said nine police personnel were martyred in the initial fighting, while militants took police personnel hostage before security forces arrived at the area.

Broader security backdrop

Pakistan has seen an increase in militant violence, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Pakistan responded by launching Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, targeting militant hideouts across the border, in which scores of Afghan Taliban operatives were killed and hundreds more were injured. Despite several rounds of talks, Pakistan and Afghanistan have not reached an agreement, largely because of what it described as the Afghan Taliban regime’s reluctance to act against militant groups operating from Afghan territory.