QUETTA: Security forces have killed six suspected militants during an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan, security sources said.
The operation, conducted under Operation Shaaban-II in the Saran Tangi area, was launched on the basis of intelligence reports concerning the presence of alleged militants affiliated with Fitna al-Hindustan.
According to security sources, nine suspected individuals were also taken into custody during the operation.
A quantity of weapons and ammunition was recovered from the militants killed during the action, the sources added.
The operation came a day after six Pakistan Army personnel, including Captain Abuzar Farooq and Lieutenant Sheraz Babar, were martyred in an exchange of fire with militants in Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Security forces had killed eight militants in the Hangu operation, according to officials.
KP, Balochistan remain major violence hotspots
Pakistan has witnessed a significant increase in militant activity in recent years, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan bearing the brunt of the violence.
A report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) identified the two provinces as the country’s main violence-affected regions during the second quarter of 2026.
The report recorded 475 fatalities in KP, representing more than 61% of violence-related deaths nationwide, while Balochistan reported 265 deaths, accounting for around 34%.
Together, the two provinces were responsible for nearly 96% of all fatalities linked to violence during the quarter.
KP also recorded the highest number of violent incidents, with 151 cases, or 57% of the national total. Balochistan followed with 94 incidents, representing 35% of the cases reported across the country.
The figures underscore the concentration of militant violence in the two provinces.
