ISLAMABAD: Security forces killed six more terrorists during an operation in Balochistan, taking the total number of militants eliminated in Operation Shaban to 85, security sources confirmed on Tuesday
The sources said that since July 5, a total of 123 militants had been killed in Operation Shaban and other intelligence-based operations (IBOs) carried out across the province.
They reiterated that the operation would continue until the last militant was eliminated.
Operation Shaban is being conducted jointly by the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, and Balochistan Police and was launched in the aftermath of the deadly attack on the Mangi Dam police station in Ziarat.
A day earlier, the security sources confirmed that 8 more terrorists were gunned down during fresh operations in the province.
A large cache of weapons and ammunition was also recovered from the killed militants, including M4 rifles, submachine guns, rocket launchers, mobile phones, and other equipment, they added.
Forty-two people, including security personnel and civilians, were martyred in three recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan.
ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had said last week that India-backed terrorists attacked the checkpoint, but police personnel fought bravely, killing 15 militants in the initial engagement.
Nine police personnel had embraced martyrdom in the initial fighting, while militants also took police personnel hostage before security forces reached the area.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban came to power in 2021.
In response, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, targeting terrorist hideouts across the border, killing scores of Afghan Taliban operatives and injuring hundreds more.
Despite several rounds of talks, both countries have been unable to reach an agreement, largely due to the Afghan Taliban regime's reluctance to act against terrorist outfits operating from Afghan soil.
