RAWALPINDI: Security forces killed 12 terrorists affiliated with the Indian proxy Fitna Al Hindustan during two separate intelligence-based operations in Balochistan’s Washuk and Mastung districts, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.
According to the military’s media wing, the operations were conducted as part of the ongoing Rad-ul-Fitna-3 campaign, a series of intelligence-based operations aimed at eliminating what it described as Indian-sponsored terrorist networks operating inside Pakistan.
The ISPR said security forces detected the movement of six terrorists in Washuk district on August 5. Acting on intelligence, troops launched a precise operation and engaged the militants, killing all six during the exchange.
In a second intelligence-based operation carried out on August 6 in Mastung district, security forces engaged another group of terrorists. After an intense firefight, six more militants were killed, while a terrorist hideout was also destroyed during the operation.
The military reiterated that, under the vision of Azm-e-Istehkam approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue counterterrorism operations at full pace to eliminate foreign-sponsored and foreign-backed terrorism from the country.
The latest operations come a week after security forces killed four alleged India-sponsored terrorists and destroyed two vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) during an intelligence-based operation in Khuzdar district. During that operation, troops intercepted the explosives-laden vehicles before they could be used in an attack.
Pakistan has witnessed an increase in militant violence, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since 2021 following the return of the Afghan Taliban to power in Afghanistan.
According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan remained the country’s most affected provinces during the second quarter of 2026, accounting for nearly 96 per cent of all violence-related fatalities.
The report stated that more than 61 per cent of the recorded deaths, or 475 fatalities, occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Balochistan accounted for 265 deaths, representing 34 per cent of the total.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also recorded the highest number of violent incidents with 151 cases, or 57 per cent of the nationwide total, followed by Balochistan with 94 incidents, highlighting the continued concentration of militant activity in the two provinces.
