RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s military said Friday that security forces killed 41 Indian-backed militants in two separate intelligence-based operations in Balochistan, as the army reaffirmed its resolve to eliminate what it described as foreign-sponsored terrorism.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the operations were carried out on January 29 against militants linked to groups it termed Fitna al-Khwarij and Fitna al-Hindustan.
According to the military, one operation took place on the outskirts of Harnai district, where troops raided a suspected hideout and killed 30 militants after an exchange of fire. A large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives was recovered and destroyed at the site.
A second raid in Panjgur district targeted another militant hideout, killing 11 fighters. The ISPR said security forces also recovered arms and cash looted during a bank robbery in Panjgur in December.
The military said sanitisation operations were continuing in the area to ensure no remaining militants escaped.
Pakistan’s army said its counterterrorism campaign under the “Azm-e-Istehkam” strategy would continue at full pace to eradicate militancy.
The country has seen a surge in militant violence since 2021, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which border Afghanistan. Military officials say thousands of intelligence-based operations were carried out nationwide last year, resulting in the deaths of more than 2,500 militants.