Military says hideout was targeted after intelligence reports of militants linked to Fitna al-Hindustan
Web Desk: Pakistan’s security forces killed 12 militants in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Kalat district of Balochistan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Friday.
According to the military’s media wing, the operation was carried out on September 2 after intelligence reports indicated the presence of militants linked by authorities to Fitna al-Hindustan.
ISPR said security personnel identified and monitored a militant hideout before carrying out what it described as “prompt surgical action.”
The military said all 12 militants were killed during the operation. It also said a cache of ammunition and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) was destroyed at the site.
Sanitisation operation continues
ISPR said sanitisation operations were continuing in the area to search for and eliminate any other militants who may be present.
The military said its broader counterterrorism campaign under Azm-i-Istehkam would continue at full pace against what it describes as foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism.
The reported operation comes amid continued militant violence in Balochistan, one of Pakistan’s main security hotspots.
Separate attack foiled in Bhag
Separately, authorities said security forces foiled a coordinated militant attack in Bhag city, also in Balochistan.
Balochistan government adviser Shahid Rind said around 40 militants attacked a police station, a bank and the assistant commissioner’s office using heavy weapons, rockets, machine guns, sniper rifles and hand grenades.
The attackers failed to seize the police station or obtain weapons from the facility, according to Rind. Security personnel engaged the militants for nearly two hours before forcing them to retreat.
Five people, including two policemen, were injured in the attack, while a Bomb Disposal Unit defused an IED planted inside the bank, Rind said.
Balochistan remains a major security hotspot
The latest incidents come against a backdrop of persistent militant violence in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Pakistan recorded 774 violence-linked fatalities during the second quarter of 2026. KP accounted for 475 deaths and Balochistan for 265, together representing nearly 96% of the nationwide total.
CRSS also recorded 94 violent incidents in Balochistan during the quarter, compared with 151 in KP.
The figures include fatalities linked to terrorist attacks and state counterterrorism operations and therefore should not be interpreted solely as civilian or militant deaths.
