QUETTA – Pakistani Security forces eliminated 17 militants in two intelligence-led operations in Balochistan’s Kachhi and Kharan districts on November 1, foiling an attempted road blockade and destroying a militant hideout, according to a military statement. A soldier was also martyred during the fighting.
The operations were launched amid intelligence about presence of militants associated with Fitna al-Hindustan and Fitna al-Khawarij. The statement alleged that the militants were backed by India.
In Kachhi district’s Sanni area, troops intercepted militants attempting to establish a roadblock. The military said swift action prevented the blockade and resulted in the killing of 10 militants. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the site.
A separate operation in Kharan targeted a militant hideout, where an intense exchange of fire left seven militants dead. Security forces also seized weapons and ammunition during the raid. Sepoy Hikmat Ullah, 25, a resident of Karak district, was martyred in the Kharan gun battle. The statement paid tribute to his bravery during the operation.
Pak Army reaffirmed that security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue their counterterrorism campaign under Azm-e-Istehkam, the framework approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan. It said operations would maintain their momentum against foreign-sponsored and supported militant networks.
The latest raids follow several major counterterrorism operations across Balochistan during 2026.
On February 5, the military announced the completion of Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1, reporting that 216 militants had been killed during the campaign. Operations began on January 29 in Panjgur and the outskirts of Harnai, where an initial phase killed 41 militants, before expanding into wider clearance actions. The military also reported the deaths of 36 civilians and 22 security and law enforcement personnel during the violence and operations.
In another series of operations reported on June 2, security forces said they killed 17 militants across Mastung, Nushki, Zehri, Khuzdar and Kech following a May 24 train incident. Weapons, ammunition, explosives and prepared improvised explosive devices were recovered, according to ISPR.
More recently, military authorities reported nine militant deaths in separate raids in Kachhi and Wadh in late October. Seven were killed during an assault on a hideout in Kachhi, while two were killed after troops intercepted militant movements in Wadh. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from both locations.
At least nine Indian sponsored terrorists neutralised in Balochistan IBOs: ISPR
