Pakistan’s security forces have killed 10 militants and arrested two female suicide bombers during separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Balochistan’s Mastung and Surab districts, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said on Wednesday.
Islamabad, Pakistan – Web Desk: According to the ISPR, the operations were carried out over the past 48 hours as part of an ongoing counterterrorism campaign targeting what it described as India-sponsored Fitna al-Hindustan and Fitna al-Khwarij militants.
The military said security forces conducted multiple intelligence-driven search and clearance operations in the two districts. During the operation in Surab, seven militants were killed after troops engaged suspected militant hideouts.
In a separate operation in Mastung, security forces killed three militants and arrested two female suicide bombers along with an alleged facilitator. The ISPR said the suspects were linked to the group it identified as India-sponsored Fitna al-Hindustan.
Weapons, ammunition, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered during the operations, according to the military.
The ISPR added that sanitisation operations are continuing to eliminate any remaining militants and facilitators in the area. It reiterated that Pakistan’s counterterrorism campaign under the Azm-e-Istehkam strategy will continue to dismantle militant networks and foreign-sponsored terrorism.
The operations follow intensified security measures after recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan. Earlier this month, security forces launched Operation Shaban following a deadly assault on a police checkpoint in Ziarat. Security sources said at least 129 militants had been killed during subsequent operations.
ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry previously said that 42 people, including security personnel and civilians, were killed in three separate terrorist attacks in Balochistan earlier this month.
