Balochistan Govt Announces Arrest of two top TTP commanders

The Balochistan government has announced the apprehension of two high-value Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan TTP commanders. The captured militants, identified as Nasrullah alias “Maulvi Mansoor” and Idris alias “Irshad,” were arrested following a rigorous operation, according to Balochistan Home Minister Mir Zia Ullah Langau.

Addressing a press conference in Quetta, Minister Langau described the arrests as a major blow to terrorist networks operating in the region. He stated, “We have apprehended an important terrorist network. Terrorists Nasrullah and Idris have been arrested after a difficult operation.”

The operation comes just a day after the federal cabinet approved “Operation Azm-e-Istehkam,” a renewed national counter-terrorism initiative aimed at dismantling militant groups across the country, as part of the National Action Plan’s Central Apex Committee directives.

Minister Langau also underscored the alleged involvement of external elements in fostering terrorism within Pakistan. “India is behind terrorist attacks in the country [and] provides financial support to the militants,” he asserted, referencing intelligence gathered during ongoing security operations.

The government’s latest anti-terrorism initiative will focus on intelligence-based operations (IBOs) rather than conventional armed engagements, aimed at eradicating militant remnants and disrupting their support networks.

The arrests of TTP commanders and subsequent revelations highlight a surge in terrorist activities documented in the Q1 2024 Security Report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), which reported numerous fatalities and injuries resulting from terror-related incidents across Pakistan, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

In a damning disclosure, Minister Langau presented a video confession by captured TTP commander Nasrullah, implicating the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in providing support to banned outfits like TTP and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). Nasrullah revealed operational details and collaborations between TTP and BLA facilitated by RAW, aimed at destabilizing Pakistan, targeting Chinese citizens, and disrupting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Reacting to these revelations, retired Brigadier Babar Ala-Ud-Din commented on the well-known presence of TTP leadership, including Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, in Afghanistan and their alleged support by the Afghan Taliban-led government. He emphasized that Operation Azm-e-Istehkam signifies a tightening noose around terrorist elements operating in the region.