QUETTA: Additional Chief Secretary for Home and Tribal Affairs Hamza Shafqat and Deputy Inspector General of Police, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Aitzaz Ahmed Goraya on Tuesday said that 78,000 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) were carried out across Balochistan this year, resulting in the killing of 707 militants during counter-terrorism actions.
Briefing the media at the Central Police Office in Quetta, the officials said that 202 security personnel embraced martyrdom during operations, while 280 civilians also lost their lives in terrorist incidents. They added that three militants were arrested during a recent operation in Kharan.
They noted that, compared to last year, attacks on security forces have declined due to improved strategy and coordination among the government, security forces, and law enforcement agencies. However, they said, militant groups have increasingly targeted civilians. The officials termed the United States’ designation of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) as a terrorist organization as the year’s major success.
They said action would be taken through Interpol against militants orchestrating terrorism in Pakistan from abroad. The officials further informed that the son of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ziarat, who was abducted from Ziarat, has been safely recovered. However, information suggests that DC Ziarat himself has been martyred, and a search operation is underway to recover his body.
The briefing added that the federal government has provided Rs10 billion to Balochistan in addition to its share under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award. The funds will be utilised to further strengthen security forces, enhance their operational capacity and capabilities, and improve infrastructure.
They said additional measures are being taken to ensure the safety of travel on national highways. The officials reiterated that the links of terrorist networks have consistently been traced to India and Afghanistan, adding that the militants involved in the attack on the Frontier Corps headquarters were also linked to Afghanistan.
They further said that operations are continuing on the basis of information obtained from the three arrested militants.
Speaking on the occasion, DIG CTD Aitzaz Ahmed Goraya said that the Station House Officer (SHO) of Kharan was martyred in October. He said the militants attempted to abduct the SHO and take him along, but martyred him when he resisted. The terrorists intended to use the abduction for propaganda purposes, he added, while operations are ongoing to arrest other members of the militant group involved.
