RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Wednesday said security forces have killed 54 terrorists during operations launched after three major terrorist attacks in Balochistan over the past four days, while 42 civilians and security personnel were martyred.
Addressing a detailed press conference on the security situation, the military spokesperson said the attacks targeted innocent civilians, police personnel and soldiers in coordinated incidents across Hanna Urak, Ziarat and the Bela-Winder area. He said operations were continuing at multiple locations with the participation of the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC), law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies.
The DG ISPR maintained that the attacks were backed by India and claimed that Afghan territory was being used as a base for anti-Pakistan terrorist activities.
Lt-Gen Chaudhry said the first incident occurred on the night of July 4-5 in Hanna Urak, where militants identified by the government as Fitna al-Khawarij attacked local residents. According to the military spokesperson, local people resisted the assault and forced the attackers to retreat. Four civilians were martyred while six others were injured during the attack.
The second major incident took place at the police checkpost protecting Pumping Station No. 3 of Mangi Dam in Ziarat district. The DG ISPR said the attackers launched a multidirectional assault on the checkpost. Police personnel defended their position, killing 15 terrorists before reinforcements from the Pakistan Army and FC arrived. However, the militants managed to take several police officials hostage before additional forces reached the area. He said security forces avoided using aerial assets because of the hostage situation, continuing ground operations while attempting to minimise collateral damage.
According to Lt-Gen Chaudhry, nine policemen were martyred during the initial attack, while a further 18 police personnel lost their lives during continued engagements in the mountains around Ziarat. He stated that all the martyred policemen were local residents. The military spokesman added that 11 more terrorists had been killed during the ongoing operation, bringing the total number of militants eliminated in the Ziarat operation to 26.
The third major incident occurred on Wednesday when an army convoy came under attack near the N-25 highway in the Bela-Winder area. Lt Gen Chaudhry said 11 soldiers, including one Junior Commissioned Officer and 10 soldiers, were martyred during the engagement with militants belonging to the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), referred to by the government as Fitna al-Hindustan. He said security forces killed 14 militants during the operation.
The DG ISPR also disclosed that separate operations in Kharan and Dalbandin resulted in the deaths of six and eight more terrorists respectively.
Providing the latest figures, he said the three major incidents claimed the lives of four civilians, 27 policemen and 11 soldiers, bringing the total number of martyrs to 42. He added that the latest verified count showed 54 terrorists had been killed during the operations conducted over the past four days. The military spokesperson said India was orchestrating the attacks, stating that terrorist groups were operating with support from across the border while using territory under the control of the Afghan Taliban administration for planning and launching operations. He maintained that the majority of militants killed during recent engagements were Afghan nationals and added that the June 27 attack on a Rangers camp in Karachi had also been planned and equipped from Afghanistan.
Referring to the attacks in Winder, Babrai and near Mangi Dam, Lt Gen Chaudhry said the incidents formed part of a coordinated strategy involving planning, logistics and operational sequencing. He further stated that Afghanistan was providing manpower for the attacks, while India was directing terrorist activities in Balochistan. The DG ISPR reiterated that the government's position remained unchanged, stating that Fitna al-Khawarij had no connection with Islam, while Fitna al-Hindustan had no link with Baloch identity. He said the armed forces, under the leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir and with the support of the government, would continue pursuing terrorists, their facilitators, financiers and those providing them shelter without distinction.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said terrorists had targeted innocent civilians, taken security personnel hostage and attempted to spread fear among the people of Balochistan. He added that Balochistan's development remained vital for Pakistan and alleged that terrorist groups opposed projects benefiting the province's residents. He maintained that the state's policy was clear that there would be no negotiations with those responsible for attacks on Pakistani citizens and security personnel.
Operations against terrorists and their facilitators, he said, would continue until their complete elimination, adding that security forces, law enforcement agencies and the people of Pakistan remained engaged in the country's campaign against terrorism.