Security forces have eliminated 13 terrorists during the ongoing intelligence-based Operation Al-Azm in Balochistan, Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday, citing security sources.
According to the report, the number of terrorists killed in the operation has reached 13, while several hideouts linked to Fitna al-Hindustan have also been destroyed.
The intelligence-based operations were launched after a series of terrorist attacks in the province. Earlier, security forces initiated Operation Shaban following an attack on the Mangi Dam Police Station. In a separate incident in Mastung, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a vehicle carrying members of the judiciary on the national highway, killing a district and sessions judge and his security guard. An additional sessions judge and another individual were seriously injured in the attack.
Security sources said forces also carried out a successful operation in the Khad Kocha area of Mastung, inflicting further losses on Fitna al-Hindustan. Several terrorists were reportedly injured during the operation.
The operation also resulted in the recovery of weapons, ammunition and materials used to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs), according to security officials.
Authorities said the operation would continue until all terrorists in the province were neutralised and peace was fully restored.
The state uses the term Fitna al-Hindustan to refer to terrorists belonging to the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other militant groups operating in the province.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised the security forces for their successful operations against terrorist elements across Balochistan. He specifically commended the professionalism and operational capabilities displayed during the Khad Kocha operation, which resulted in the elimination of 13 terrorists.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment, Naqvi said operations against terrorist groups would continue until terrorism was completely eradicated from Balochistan.
A day earlier, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir vowed to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the province. He said sustained operations by security forces and law enforcement agencies, supported by the people, would help restore lasting peace in Balochistan.
Munir said targeted operations against Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan would continue with full determination until terrorism and its supporters were eliminated from Pakistan.
UNSC report highlights growing terrorist threat
Pakistan has witnessed a significant rise in terrorist violence, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, prompting intensified security operations against militant groups.
In a report released in February, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) highlighted a series of attacks carried out by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) against Pakistani security forces and projects associated with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The report cited the September 16, 2025, ambush of a Pakistani military convoy patrolling the CPEC route, in which 32 troops were killed. It noted that although Pakistan’s counter-terrorism operations had restricted the BLA’s operational space, the group remained active.
The UNSC report further stated that some member states believed the BLA collaborated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and ISIL-K by sharing training camps, resources and coordinating attacks and meetings between commanders. However, it added that other member states found no evidence of growing ties between the BLA and either Al Qaeda or ISIL.
The report also noted that militant groups in Afghanistan had acquired modern weapons and equipment through cross-border smuggling and black-market networks. It said the TTP had access to advanced assault rifles, night-vision devices, thermal imaging equipment, sniper systems and drone attack systems, with most of these allegedly provided by the de facto Afghan authorities along with weapons permits and travel documents.
Additionally, the UN’s 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee Monitoring Team reported in August 2025 that the BLA, including its Majeed Brigade, and the TTP maintained close coordination.
The UNSC further observed that several BLA attacks demonstrated a high level of sophistication and brutality, citing the hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan on March 11, 2025, which claimed 31 lives, including 21 hostages.