The Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, announced on Wednesday that security forces have killed 54 terrorists in a series of operations launched after three major terrorist attacks in Balochistan over the past four days. The attacks resulted in the deaths of 42 civilians and security personnel.
Details of the Attacks
Addressing a press conference, the military spokesperson detailed that the coordinated attacks targeted civilians, police personnel, and soldiers in Hanna Urak, Ziarat, and the Bela-Winder area. Clearance operations are ongoing with the participation of the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC), law enforcement agencies, and intelligence organizations. Lt Gen Chaudhry vowed that all those involved would be pursued until they face justice.
The first attack occurred on the night of July 4-5, when terrorists from "Fitna al Khawarij" targeted innocent civilians in the Hanna Urak area. Local residents resisted strongly, forcing the attackers to retreat. Four civilians were martyred and six others injured in this incident.
Ziarat Attack and Casualties
In the second attack, militants from Fitna al-Khawarij launched a coordinated assault from multiple directions on a police checkpost guarding Pumping Station No. 3 of Mangi Dam in Ziarat district. The attack late Monday night left at least nine police personnel, including two station house officers (SHOs), martyred. Security forces found 15 militants dead at the site after arriving. Lt Gen Chaudhry noted that 18 more policemen were martyred during subsequent clashes in the mountains of Ziarat since July 6, bringing the total police martyrs to 27. Security forces have confirmed the deaths of 26 militants in the Ziarat operation, including 15 found at the checkpost and 11 killed in later engagements.
Bela-Winder Attack
The third attack targeted an Army convoy in the Bela-Winder area near the N-25 highway, carried out by militants of the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). Eleven soldiers, including one junior commissioned officer (JCO) and 10 soldiers, were martyred, while security forces killed 14 BLA militants during the exchange.
Lt Gen Chaudhry also reported that security forces killed six alleged "Fitna al Hindustan" militants in an operation in Kharan and another eight in Dalbandin.
Allegations of Foreign Involvement
The DG ISPR accused India and aligned forces of attempting to undermine Pakistan's peace, stability, and progress. He reiterated that militants are using areas under the control of the Afghan Taliban administration as operational bases, claiming that most of the militants killed were Afghan nationals. Referring to the June 27 attack on a Rangers camp in Karachi, he alleged that three of the four attackers were Afghans and that planning, logistics, and support originated from Afghanistan. He further alleged that Afghanistan was providing manpower for these operations.
State Response and Resolve
Lt Gen Chaudhry said the attacks aimed to disrupt Balochistan's development, targeting infrastructure projects like the water pipeline supplying Quetta. He affirmed that the armed forces, under the leadership of Chief of Defence Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and with government backing, are fully committed to countering the threat. "We will hunt you, and we will hurt you everywhere," he warned those involved in terrorist activities.
He also highlighted the solidarity of the government and people of Balochistan, citing Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti's visit to Ziarat after the Mangi Dam incident. Lt Gen Chaudhry maintained that the state's narrative—that terrorists have no connection with Islam and that groups labelled "Fitna al Hindustan" have no link with Baloch identity—has put pressure on militant organizations. He added that the policy of repatriating illegal Afghan nationals will continue despite militant attacks, stating, "No one can deter the Pakistani state."
Concluding the briefing, Lt Gen Chaudhry said the armed forces, law enforcement agencies, and the people of Pakistan remain united in the fight against terrorism and expressed confidence that the country will prevail.
