Four Militants Killed in Panjgur Operation, State Media Says
PANJGUR, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Pakistani security forces killed four alleged militants during an operation in Balochistan’s Panjgur district on Monday, state-run Radio Pakistan reported, citing security sources.
According to the official account, the operation was conducted in the Aphan Koh area of Prom Paroom after intelligence reports indicated the presence of militants there. An exchange of fire followed, in which four alleged militants were killed.
Radio Pakistan said a large quantity of modern weapons and ammunition was recovered during the operation.
State media described those killed as belonging to what Pakistani authorities call “Fitna al-Hindustan.” The government uses the term for militant groups operating in Balochistan that it alleges are backed by India. New Delhi has rejected Pakistani allegations of sponsoring militancy in the country in previous instances. The affiliation and identities of those killed in Monday’s operation were not independently established in the sources reviewed.
The latest action was reported as part of Operation Radd-ul-Fitna 3, an ongoing counterterrorism campaign in Balochistan.
Panjgur has witnessed several security operations in recent days. On September 19, state media reported that 11 alleged militants were killed in operations in Panjgur and Chagai, including five in Panjgur’s Gowargo area and six in Chagai. Weapons, ammunition and explosive material were also reportedly recovered.
A day earlier, authorities reported another operation in Panjgur’s Fateh Ali area in which five alleged militants were killed, while two others were reported killed in a separate operation in Kachhi district.
Separately, security forces killed five alleged militants and recovered 23 abducted people during an operation along the N-25 highway near Kalat, according to an ISPR statement reported on Sunday.
The series of operations comes amid heightened security activity across Balochistan. Dawn reported that terrorist attacks in the province increased by 7% from July to August, citing a monthly assessment by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.
Further information about Monday’s Panjgur operation, including the identities of those killed, was not immediately available in the official reports reviewed.
