RAWALPINDI: Security forces have killed 13 terrorists so far in Balochistan during the ongoing intelligence-based Operation Al-Azm, Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday, citing security sources.
“The number of terrorists killed so far during Operation Al-Azm has reached 13, while several hideouts belonging to Fitna-al Hindustan have been destroyed,” Radio Pakistan quoted security sources as saying.
The intelligence-based operations have been launched in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the area. Earlier, security forces launched Operation Shaban after terrorists attacked the Mangi Dam Police Station. A district and sessions judge and his security guard were also killed after unidentified armed men opened fire on their vehicle on the national highway in Mastung, while an additional sessions judge and another person sustained serious injuries.
According to sources, Fitna-al Hindustan suffered further losses in a successful operation carried out by security forces in the Khad Kocha area of Mastung.
“There are also confirmed reports that several terrorists belonging to Fitna-al Hindustan were injured during the operation,” the sources added.
It further revealed that weapons, ammunition and materials used to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were also recovered.
Security sources said the operation was expected to continue till all terrorists were neutralised in the province and peace was completely restored.
Fitna al-Hindustan is the term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Balochistan Liberation Army and other groups in the province.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also commended security forces, saying forces were conducting effective operations against terrorist elements across the province as part of the nationwide campaign.
Naqvi highlighted the successful operation against terrorists in the Khad Kocha area of Mastung, lauding the “professionalism and operational capabilities” of the security personnel that enabled them to eliminate 13 terrorists.
Reaffirming the government’s resolve, the interior minister said operations against terrorist groups would continue until terrorism was completely eradicated from Balochistan.
A day earlier, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir expressed a resolve to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Balochistan, saying consistent efforts by security forces and law enforcement agencies, backed by the steadfast support of the people, would bring lasting peace to the province.
Munir said, “Targeted operations against Fitna al Khawarij and Fitna al Hindustan will continue with full resolve until the menace of terrorism and its abettors are eliminated from Pakistan.”
UNSC confirms rise in TTP attacks from Afghanistan
Terrorism has significantly increased in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, in recent days. The rise in terrorist activity has led to growing concerns over the security situation in these regions. In response, security forces have been conducting intensive operations to counter the threat, targeting terrorist groups.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC), in a report released in February, also drew attention to a series of attacks by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) against Pakistani security forces and projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“On September 16, 2025, the BLA ambushed a Pakistani military convoy patrolling the corridor, killing 32 troops. While counter-terrorism operations by Pakistan restricted the BLA’s operational space, it remained active”.
The report added that some member states reported that the BLA collaborated with the TTP and ISIL-K through shared training camps and resources, coordinating attacks and meetings between commanders. Some member states assessed that there was neither an association nor growing ties between the BLA and Al Qaeda or ISIL.
It further highlighted that various groups in Afghanistan had acquired modern weapons and equipment through cross-border smuggling and black-market trade. “TTP used advanced assault rifles, night-vision devices, thermal-imaging devices, sniper systems and drone attack systems. Most of these were provided by the de facto authorities in conjunction with weapons permits and travel documents,” it said.
In August 2025, the UN’s 1988 Taliban sanctions committee monitoring team’s annual report said outlawed terrorist groups – BLA, including its Majeed Brigade, and TTP had “close coordination”.
The UNSC report said “some BLA attacks showed a high degree of complexity and brutality”, citing the hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan on March 11, 2025, which killed 31 people, including 21 hostages.
