Security forces killed eight “India-sponsored” terrorists during three intelligence-based Balochistan IBOs in the Quetta, Nushki and Khuzdar districts on October 17, the Inter-Services Public Relations said on Sunday. Weapons, ammunition and 490 kilogrammes of explosives were recovered during the operations.
According to the ISPR, the operations targeted militants belonging to what the state calls Fitna al Hindustan, the designation given to India-linked groups blamed for terrorism in the province.
The first operation unfolded in the Panjpai area of Quetta district. Militants tried to set up a roadblock to disrupt local traffic, but security forces intercepted the attempt. Five terrorists were killed in the exchange.
Balochistan IBOs targeted hideouts in Nushki and Khuzdar
The second operation took place in Nushki district. During a sanitisation operation, security forces busted a terrorist hideout and, after an intense exchange of fire, killed two militants. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the site.
The third IBO was conducted in Khuzdar district, where troops engaged another suspected hideout and killed one militant. The ISPR said 490kg of explosives were recovered from the Khuzdar hideout.
The military’s media wing said sanitisation operations were under way in the affected areas to eliminate any other terrorists found in the region. The ISPR reaffirmed that the counterterrorism campaign under Vision “Azm-i-Istehkam”, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, would continue at full pace to wipe out foreign-sponsored terrorism.
President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to the security forces and praised them for thwarting the attempt to disrupt traffic in Quetta. “Conspiracies of the terrorists’ foreign patrons and their local facilitators will be foiled,” the president said. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also praised the troops, commending their professionalism, courage and successes in counterterrorism operations.
Attacks in Balochistan keep rising despite operations
The operations come against a grim backdrop. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies has reported that terror attacks in Balochistan rose 7 per cent, from 83 in July to 89 in August, leaving the province the most affected by terrorism in the country.
Geo News, quoting official data, reported that Pakistan recorded its highest monthly number of militant attacks in 12 years during September 2026, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan the worst hit since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Related coverage: our earlier report on the 18 workers abducted from a Khuzdar marble factory, the CTD’s arrest of eight suspects in Punjab, the Bugti-Fazl exchange over Balochistan’s security politics and the suspension of trade corridors with Iran.
Frequently asked questions
How many terrorists were killed in the Balochistan IBOs?
Eight terrorists were killed in three intelligence-based operations conducted on October 17 in the Quetta, Nushki and Khuzdar districts, the ISPR said.
What was recovered in the operations?
Security forces recovered weapons, ammunition and 490 kilogrammes of explosives from the targeted hideouts.
Which group do the slain terrorists belong to?
The ISPR said the terrorists belonged to Fitna al Hindustan, the state’s designation for India-linked militant groups operating in Balochistan.
What is Azm-i-Istehkam?
Vision Azm-i-Istehkam is the counterterrorism campaign approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, under which the ISPR says operations against foreign-sponsored terrorism will continue.
