ISLAMABAD: Security forces have killed 10 militants and apprehended two female suicide bombers during separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted in Balochistan’s Mastung and Surab districts over the past 48 hours, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Wednesday.
According to the military’s media wing, the operations were carried out as part of an ongoing campaign against militant networks, which it described as “Fitna al-Hindustan” and “Fitna al-Khwarij.” The coordinated operations targeted suspected hideouts and facilitators in different parts of the province.
The ISPR said seven militants were killed during an operation in Surab, while another three were neutralised in Mastung. During the Mastung operation, security forces also arrested two female suicide bombers along with a suspected facilitator.
Weapons, ammunition, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered from the militants during the raids, the statement added.
The military said clearance operations are continuing in the affected areas to locate and eliminate any remaining militants. It added that counterterrorism efforts under the Azm-e-Istehkam strategy, approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan, will continue to target militant networks and their facilitators across the country.
The latest operations come amid an intensified security campaign in Balochistan. Security sources recently said that Operation Shaban was launched following a deadly attack on a police checkpost in Ziarat, resulting in the killing of at least 129 militants.
Earlier this month, at least 42 people, including security personnel and civilians, lost their lives in three separate terrorist attacks in Balochistan, according to ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry.
