QUETTA, Feb 01 (Alliance News): Security forces killed at least 92 terrorists during large-scale clearance operations across Balochistan after India-backed militants launched coordinated attacks in multiple districts of the province, leaving 18 civilians and 15 security personnel martyred, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said terrorists belonging to India-sponsored Fitna al-Hindustan (FAH) carried out simultaneous attacks on January 31, targeting civilians and security personnel in and around Quetta, Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump, Gwadar and Pasni.
The ISPR said the attackers deliberately targeted innocent civilians, including women, children, elderly people and labourers, particularly in Gwadar and Kharan, with the intent of disrupting daily life and development in the province. “Terrorists maliciously targeted 18 innocent civilians who embraced shahadat,” the statement said.
Following the attacks, security forces and law enforcement agencies launched immediate and intense clearance operations across the affected areas.
According to the ISPR, 92 India-backed terrorists, including three suicide bombers, were killed during the operations, successfully thwarting what it described as a major attempt to destabilise Balochistan.
The military said that 15 security personnel embraced martyrdom while fighting gallantly during intense engagements and standoffs with the terrorists. “Our valiant troops displayed unwavering courage and professional excellence, engaging the terrorists with precision,” the statement added.
Security forces subsequently initiated sanitisation operations to apprehend the instigators, facilitators and abettors involved in the attacks.
The ISPR said intelligence reports had “unequivocally confirmed” that the attacks were orchestrated and directed by terrorist ring leaders operating from outside Pakistan, who remained in direct communication with the attackers throughout the incidents.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, speaking alongside Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, said the operation against militants was “almost complete,” adding that further details would be shared soon.
He said security forces, police and Frontier Corps repelled the attacks with courage, significantly reducing their lethality.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the attacks were planned from India and vowed that both the militants and their masterminds would be pursued without exception.
“We have all the evidence about where these terrorists sit and operate, and we will expose them before the world,” he said.
CM Bugti said civilian casualties included members of a Baloch family from Khuzdar and stressed that there would be no compromise on peace in the province.
He said the entire nation stood shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan’s armed forces in defending the country.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attacks and paid tribute to the martyred security personnel, saying the nation was proud of their sacrifices. “We will continue the fight against the menace of terrorism until it is completely eradicated,” the prime minister said.
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described the attacks as a “desperate move” by FAH, saying the security forces were fully alert and therefore not taken by surprise. He said aerial monitoring and ground operations were ongoing to eliminate remaining militants.
Meanwhile, all major routes from Punjab to Balochistan were temporarily closed as a security measure.
Dera Ghazi Khan Deputy Commissioner Usman Khalid said the Fort Munro Highway, Taunsa–Musa Khel Road, and border points at Buwata and Sakhi Sarwar had been shut, restricting travel between the two provinces.
The attacks came a day after security forces killed 41 Indian-backed militants in intelligence-based operations in Harnai and Panjgur districts.
According to ISPR, 30 terrorists were eliminated on the outskirts of Harnai on January 29, while 11 were killed in Panjgur, where looted money from a bank robbery was also recovered.
Pakistan has witnessed a rise in cross-border terrorism since 2021. ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry earlier said that more than 75,000 intelligence-based operations were conducted nationwide in 2025, resulting in the killing of over 2,500 terrorists, with Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remaining the most affected regions.
