RAWALPINDI: As many as 41 Indian-backed militants were killed in two separate intelligence-based operations in Balochistan on January 29, the Inter-Services Public Relations said on Friday, as the military reiterated its resolve to eliminate terrorism.
In a statement, the military’s media wing said the militants belonged to Indian proxy groups Fitna al-Khwarij and Fitna al-Hindustan.
According to ISPR, one operation was conducted on the outskirts of Harnai district following reports of the presence of Fitna al-Khwarij militants. Security forces effectively engaged the hideout, and after an intense exchange of fire, 30 militants were killed.
A large cache of weapons, ammunition, and explosives was recovered from the site and destroyed on the spot, the statement added.
In a separate intelligence-based operation in Panjgur district, security forces busted another militant hideout and neutralised 11 militants linked to Fitna al-Hindustan. Weapons and ammunition were recovered, along with looted money from a bank robbery carried out in Panjgur on December 15, 2025.
ISPR said the killed militants had been involved in multiple terrorist activities in the past. Sanitisation operations are ongoing to eliminate any remaining militants in the areas.
The statement said the counterterrorism campaign under the vision of “Azm e Istehkam” would continue at full pace to eradicate foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country.
Pakistan has witnessed a rise in cross-border terrorist incidents since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which share borders with Afghanistan, have been the most affected.
Earlier, ISPR director general Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said in a press briefing on January 6 that law enforcement agencies conducted 75,175 intelligence-based operations across the country in 2025.
He said 14,658 operations were carried out in KP, 58,778 in Balochistan, and 1,739 in other parts of the country.
According to the briefing, 5,397 terrorism incidents were reported nationwide last year, including 3,811 in KP, 1,557 in Balochistan, and 29 in other areas.
He said 2,597 militants were killed during counterterrorism operations in 2025, adding that civilians and soft targets were deliberately attacked in several major incidents, all of which involved Afghan militants.
