Security forces have killed two wanted militants in an intelligence-based operation in Dalbandin, in Balochistan’s Chagai district, in the latest Dalbandin IBO operation against groups targeting the Quetta-Taftan highway.
The operation targeted a militant hideout in the Killi Sardar Hashim area of Dalbandin on Saturday, security sources said. Troops struck the hideout effectively, killing both men. The slain militants were affiliated with Fitna al-Hindustan, the official designation for terrorist groups operating in Balochistan, according to the sources.
Dalbandin IBO operation targeted highway attackers
The two men were wanted for harassing passengers travelling along the Quetta-Taftan highway and spreading fear among local communities, the sources said. They were also accused of setting fire to commercial vehicles and passenger buses on the highway, disrupting transport and damaging the national economy.
The operation was carried out as part of Radd-ul-Fitna 3, the ongoing counterterrorism campaign in the province. Security forces reaffirmed their resolve to eliminate terrorism from Balochistan, saying the fight would continue until the last militant was eliminated.
The Quetta-Taftan highway under threat
The N-40 Quetta-Taftan highway is a lifeline for western Balochistan, carrying commercial traffic between Quetta and the Iranian border at Taftan. Militant groups have repeatedly targeted it. In September, two men belonging to the banned Balochistan Liberation Army were killed in the Nokcha area of Chagai after setting an empty water tanker on fire and fleeing, and an August 31 operation along the same highway left 11 militants dead after armed men set up an illegal checkpoint to extort commuters.
Each attack on the highway hits twice: it endangers travellers and it chokes the trade the region depends on. Torched trucks and buses are not just wreckage on the roadside. They are lost livelihoods for drivers, traders and transporters, and higher costs for everyone moving goods through the province.
A wider counterterrorism push
The Dalbandin operation is one thread in a wider campaign. Security forces have kept up the tempo across both Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in recent weeks, from the intelligence-based operation in Mir Ali to the release of 13 hostages in Bannu after elders negotiated with militants.
The pressure is also visible in Punjab, where the Counter-Terrorism Department arrested eight militants in 91 intelligence-based operations and detained 77 suspects in a province-wide crackdown, according to SAMAA TV.
The security establishment frames the campaign as a national effort. The commander of the newly created National Strategic Command Centre recently warned that any miscalculation by adversaries would draw a response far beyond their imagination, while communities in the tribal districts have pressed their own demands through jirgas. In Dalbandin, the immediate result is two fewer gunmen on a highway that has seen too many.
Original reporting: Aaj TV.
Frequently asked questions
What happened in Dalbandin?
Security forces killed two wanted militants in an intelligence-based operation in the Killi Sardar Hashim area of Dalbandin, Chagai district, targeting a militant hideout.
Who were the militants?
Security sources said the slain men were affiliated with Fitna al-Hindustan, the official term for terrorist groups operating in Balochistan, and were wanted for attacks on the Quetta-Taftan highway.
What were they accused of?
They were accused of harassing passengers on the Quetta-Taftan highway and setting fire to commercial vehicles and passenger buses, disrupting transport and trade.
What is Radd-ul-Fitna 3?
It is the ongoing counterterrorism campaign under which security forces are conducting intelligence-based operations against militant groups in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
