Security forces kill 11 terrorists in separate KP, Balochistan operations
Security forces kill 11 terrorists in separate KP, Balochistan operations
ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed 11 terrorists described by security sources as India-backed in separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan on Saturday, targeting militant hideouts in South Waziristan and the Mashkel area.
Terrorists killed KP Balochistan: the two operations
In South Waziristan, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation targeting hideouts of Fitna al-Khawarij, the state’s term for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Five militants were killed during the operation, while their hideouts were targeted and destroyed, the sources said. A large cache of weapons and ammunition was also recovered from the militants.
Separately, security forces conducted an operation against Fitna al-Hindustan, the label security sources use for India-backed militants in Balochistan, in the Gorinder-Mashkel area under Operation Radd-ul-Fitna 3. According to the sources, militants opened fire on a checkpost in the area and attempted to flee after the attack. Security forces responded promptly and killed the six militants who were attempting to escape.
Naqvi praises security forces
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday praised the security forces for the successful intelligence-based operations in the two provinces.
He commended the forces for foiling the militants’ plans and acknowledged their professional capabilities in conducting the operations, saying the nation took pride in the personnel fighting terrorism. The minister said the entire nation stood shoulder to shoulder with the security forces in the ongoing campaign, and that terrorism would be completely eliminated with the backing of the people.
Rising militant violence
The operations come amid a sharp rise in militant violence, particularly in KP and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Pakistan recorded its highest monthly number of militant attacks in 12 years during September 2026. According to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based independent think tank, 225 militant attacks were recorded across the country in September, compared with 199 in August, an increase of 13 per cent. It was the third consecutive month of rising attacks.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by militant groups to carry out attacks inside Pakistan, maintaining that the Afghan Taliban authorities have failed to take effective action. Kabul has disputed the claim, and the issue remains a major point of contention between the two sides.
Frequently asked questions
Where did the operations against terrorists take place?
The two operations were carried out in South Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Gorinder-Mashkel area of Balochistan, according to security sources.
How many terrorists were killed in the KP and Balochistan operations?
Eleven in total: five in the South Waziristan intelligence-based operation against Fitna al-Khawarij hideouts, and six in the Mashkel operation under Operation Radd-ul-Fitna 3.
What is the wider security context?
Pakistan saw 225 militant attacks in September 2026, the highest monthly figure in 12 years and the third consecutive monthly increase, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.
