Security forces killed two terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) near Paringabad in Balochistan’s Mastung District on Thursday, while in a separate action they arrested 104 Afghan nationals attempting to travel illegally toward Iran and Europe, security sources said.
According to the sources, the Mastung operation was carried out under Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-3, the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign in the province. The two terrorists were killed during the intelligence-based raid near Paringabad, an area that has seen repeated militant activity in recent months.
In the second operation, security forces foiled human-smuggling attempts in Dasht and Turbat, detaining 104 Afghan nationals who were allegedly trying to cross into Iran illegally en route to Europe. The arrests underline the scale of the smuggling networks operating along Pakistan’s southwestern border.
Security officials said both actions were part of the continuing effort to eliminate terrorism and curb human smuggling and trafficking in Balochistan. They reiterated the forces’ commitment to maintaining peace and security in the province.
No casualties among security personnel were reported in either operation.
Continuing pressure in Balochistan
The Mastung IBO follows a string of counter-terrorism actions across the province. Earlier, security forces killed five terrorists in an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan’s Washuk district, as the military maintains sustained pressure on militant networks in the region.
Balochistan remains the focus of Pakistan’s counter-terrorism effort, with security forces conducting regular intelligence-based operations against groups involved in attacks on civilians, security personnel and development projects. The province also sits on the main corridor used by human-smuggling networks moving people from Afghanistan and Pakistan toward Iran, Turkey and onward to Europe – a trade the authorities say they are determined to break.
Source: security sources via The Nation (Quetta), 16 October 2026. This is a developing story; the article will be updated if an official statement is issued.
