Pakistan’s security forces have killed 197 militants of the banned “Fitna al-Hindustan” group in ongoing counterterrorism operations in Balochistan over the past three days, while 22 security personnel lost their lives, state media reported on Tuesday.
The government has classified the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other Baloch groups as part of “Fitna al-Hindustan,” alleging they operate as proxies for India to destabilise Pakistan.
State broadcaster PTV News, citing security sources, said follow-up and sanitisation operations against the militants are still underway. The report added that 22 personnel from the army, Frontier Corps, police, and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency were martyred in the line of duty, and 36 civilians, including women and children, were killed in terrorist attacks.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, terrorists had launched coordinated attacks at several locations on Saturday, targeting security installations and civilian areas across Quetta, Mastung, Noshki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump, Gwadar and Pasni.
Security forces responded with sustained clearance operations and standoffs, killing 92 terrorists on the first day. The military said 18 civilians were also killed, while 15 security personnel “fought gallantly and embraced martyrdom” during the operations.
A day ago, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan needed to deploy large numbers of troops in Balochistan because of the province’s vast geography amid the serious security situation and recent spate of attacks.
Speaking in the National Assembly (NA) on the matter, Asif said: “Balochistan constitutes over 40% of Pakistan geographically … to control it is much difficult than a populated city or area and it needs deployment of massive forces. Our troops are deployed there and are in action against them (terrorists) but they are physically handicapped by guarding and patrolling such a big area.”
The defence minister said the government tightened enforcement to curb smuggling, triggering a major protest at the Chaman border. He said some people argue the state should negotiate with nationalist movements, but claimed the protest movement was driven by commercial interests rather than politics or nationalism.
Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti had described the operation as one of the most extensive intelligence-led actions conducted in such a short timeframe. He said the crackdown followed a series of coordinated assaults claimed by the BLA.
Asif said on Sunday that Pakistan’s findings showed that “all the linkages point towards India” in the recent attacks.
Security sources had also claimed that Indian media outlets and India-linked social media accounts amplified support for Fitna al-Hindustan during the attacks, which they described as part of a coordinated hostile information campaign.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had also directly held India responsible on Saturday, alleging that New Delhi was involved in planning and backing the incidents and vowing to expose what he described as its role before the international community.
The attacks were unanimously condemned by the country’s political stakeholders with resolutions against them passed in the Senate and NA.
Source: Express Tribune
