GWADAR: Security forces killed 10 terrorists, including a woman, during clearance operations in Gwadar following attacks in the port city and near the Gabd Border Crossing, the military’s media wing said on Friday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), one civilian was killed and several vehicles damaged during the attacks on Thursday. No security personnel were martyred during the subsequent operations, it added.
The ISPR said the attackers belonged to what Pakistani authorities describe as the Indian-sponsored militant group Fitna al Hindustan.
According to the military, terrorists attempted to carry out attacks in the areas of the Gabd Border Crossing and Gwadar city on Thursday, prompting security forces to launch clearance operations to protect residents and secure the affected areas.
In separate engagements, troops foiled the attacks and killed 10 terrorists, including a woman, the ISPR said, adding that the operations concluded without any casualties among security personnel.
The military said the attacks were aimed at harming local residents and obstructing Balochistan’s development and prosperity.
The ISPR also alleged that a Baloch woman had been coerced into participating in the attack, describing the use of women in militant activities as an offence against the state and the dignity of Baloch women.
It said such tactics were intended to influence public sentiment and lend legitimacy to the militants’ campaign, adding that they ran contrary to Baloch and Islamic traditions.
The military said counterterrorism operations under the Azm-e-Istehkam initiative would continue at full pace. The initiative was approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, according to the statement.
The ISPR added that security forces and law enforcement agencies remained committed to eliminating what it described as foreign-sponsored terrorism in the country.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday commended security forces for foiling the attacks and killing 10 terrorists.
In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz praised the professionalism of security personnel and expressed grief over the civilian death. He offered prayers for the deceased and patience for the bereaved family.
The prime minister described the attackers as enemies of Balochistan’s development and prosperity, saying the group referred to by the authorities as Fitna al Hindustan would not succeed in its objectives.
He said operations under the Azm-e-Istehkam counterterrorism initiative would continue until terrorism was eliminated, adding that the nation stood alongside security forces and law enforcement agencies in their efforts.
President Zardari also praised the troops for foiling the attacks and expressed sorrow over the civilian casualty.
He said attempts to undermine peace and stability in Balochistan would not weaken the resolve of the province’s people to pursue development and prosperity. The president stressed that peace was essential to safeguarding the rights and interests of Balochistan’s residents and condemned what he described as the use of Baloch women’s dignity for political purposes.
The incident comes amid continued counterterrorism operations in Balochistan, where security forces have stepped up efforts in response to militant activity.
Earlier on Friday, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir vowed to continue operations against what the military describes as Indian-sponsored terrorist outfits.
“He underscored that we will continue the campaign against Indian-sponsored terrorist outfits to the fullest and hit them hard wherever they are,” the ISPR said in a statement.
Munir expressed confidence that Pakistan, with the support of its people, would defeat the terrorists and what the military described as their “perverted ideology”.
