Laudable pushback

Mopping operations launched by the security forces in Balochistan are bearing fruit as terror elements are on a retreat. An attack carried out by Indian proxies, Fitna Al Hindustan, in Kharan district was repulsed and more than 20 unscrupulous elements were killed in a gunfight. These people were out to rob commercial banks and involved in destructive activities, as they came under fire through coordinated IBOs. A

rmed forces have led from the front against the existential threat posed by the terror nexus in the restive provinces of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. A visible decline in high-profile and mass casualty terror attacks owes a compliment to astute intelligence gathering, sophisticated coordination of security forces and the resilience of the people.

Reports also confirm that the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) lost two of its comrades as they were taken out in Helmand province of Afghanistan after allegedly being targeted by gunmen in Sangin district in September last year. That has led to a decline in terror in Balochistan. 'Captain' Rahman Gul and Ustad Mureed spearheaded the notorious Majeed Brigade, resulting in hundreds of deaths and arson activities in the province.

The fact that these insurgent masterminds were holed up in Afghanistan points a finger at the Taliban regime, which has not been able to act against them - something that has not only derailed geo-economics but also pushed the region to the verge of instability.

Pakistan is fighting terror at home and abroad, and the outgoing year saw a spike in terror activities to the tune of 34 per cent. Similarly, a record 1,313 militants were killed in operations, which goes on to underscore the importance of kinetic options against a well-entrenched faceless enemy. Pakistan Security Report-2025 by an Islamabad-based think tank says that the year 2025 saw more than 700 attacks, causing at least 1,034 civilian and military casualties. This pushback from security forces needs to be augmented under a more broad-based approach to further the success.