Four more India-backed militants were killed in the Saran Tangai area of Balochistan, taking the death toll in the ongoing Operation Shaban to 71, security sources said on Sunday.
Since July 5, a total of 109 militants have been killed in Operation Shaban and other intelligence-based operations conducted across Balochistan.
Security forces also recovered a large quantity of arms and equipment from the slain militants, including M4 rifles, submachine guns (SMGs), rocket launchers, mobile phones and other military gear.
Operation Shaban was launched following the attack on the Mangi Dam police station in Ziarat and is being conducted jointly by the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC) and Balochistan Police.
Despite the progress made during the operation, three recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan claimed the lives of 42 people, including security personnel and civilians.
Security officials have maintained that the operation will continue until all militants operating in the area are eliminated.
Earlier this week, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that militants allegedly backed by India had attacked the Ziarat checkpoint. He stated that police personnel put up strong resistance, killing 15 attackers during the initial exchange of fire.
The military spokesperson said nine police officers were martyred during the first phase of the assault and added that some police personnel had been taken hostage before security forces arrived to regain control of the situation.
Pakistan has experienced a sharp rise in militant violence, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
In response, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, targeting militant hideouts across the border. Pakistani authorities say the operation resulted in the deaths of numerous Afghan Taliban fighters and allied militants, while hundreds of others were wounded.
