11 soldiers martyred, 14 terrorists killed in army convoy attack in Balochistan's Bela-Winder: DG ISPR

A junior commissioned officer (JCO) and 10 soldiers were martyred after an army convoy came under attack in the area of Bela, Winder, along the N-25 highway, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Wednesday.

Inter-Services Public Relations Director General (DG ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Wednesday that 11 soldiers were martyred after an army convoy came under attack in Balochistan's Bela, Winder, along the N-25 highway, as he provided security updates about the province in recent days.

The DG ISPR said two additional operations were carried out in Kharan and Dalbandin, where security forces killed six and eight terrorists. He said the operations are part of the military's ongoing response to recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan.

He further said that Pakistan had witnessed three major terrorist incidents over the past four days.

Lt Gen Chaudhry said, "the first incident occurred on the night between July 4 and 5, when terrorists belonging to Fitna-ul-Khawarij attacked the local population in Hanna Urak".

The DG ISPR said residents resisted the attack and forced the terrorist to retreat. He said four civilians were martyred and six others injured during the incident. He said that Fitna-ul-Khawarij was an "Indian proxy".

Fitna-al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The second incident, DG ISPR said, terrorists belonging to Fitna-ul-Khawarij carried out a “multi-directional attack” on a police check post near pumping station no 3 of Mangi Dam in Ziarat district.

He said the water from Mangi Dam supplies Quetta, and the police check post was established to protect the pumping station and the pipeline, with personnel deployed there working day and night to ensure the water supply to the people of Quetta.

“The terrorists of Fitna-ul-Khawarij attacked the check post in a multi-directional manner,” the DG ISPR said.

He paid tribute to the police personnel, saying they stood their ground and fought back against the attackers. He said 15 terrorists, whom he referred to as “Kharjis”, were killed during the battle. He said nine young police personnel were martyred in the intense engagement.

The DG ISPR said army reinforcements were immediately dispatched, but before they could reach the location, the remaining attackers were engaged and killed by the police personnel. He said that after security forces reached the area, the bodies of 15 terrorists were found there.

Lt Gen Chaudhry said the police personnel involved in the fight were locals from the area. “These young police personnel are from that area. They are all locals. Those who claim they are fighting for Balochistan are Muslims, Baloch, Pashtuns or people from the same area and the same land,” he said.

He said Frontier Corps, the army and other law enforcement agencies continued their engagement with the terrorists and kept pressure on them.

The DG ISPR said security forces exercised caution and avoided the use of aerial assets due to concerns over collateral damage because police personnel were engaged with the attackers. He said the engagement had continued since July 6 in the Ziarat mountains, during which many terrorists were killed.

The DG ISPR said that when the terrorists realised that they were surrounded, they attempted to resist, adding that 18 young men were martyred in the attack.

He said the engagement was continuing and security forces had confirmed the deaths of the terrorists involved. “The actual number is much higher,” he said.

Referring to the Mangi Dam incident, the DG ISPR said nine police personnel were martyred on the first day of the attack, while 18 more were martyred later, bringing the total number of police personnel martyred to 27.

He said 15 terrorists were killed during the attack on the police check post.

He added that, after the attackers targeted the area again, security forces confirmed another 11 terrorist deaths, bringing the total number of terrorists killed in the two engagements to 26.

UNSC confirms rise in TTP attacks from Afghanistan

Terrorism has significantly increased in Pakistan, particularly in K-P and Balochistan, in recent days. The rise in terrorist activity has led to growing concerns over the security situation in these regions. In response, security forces have been conducting intensive operations to counter the threat, targeting terrorist groups.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in its report released on February also drew attention to a series of attacks by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) against Pakistani security forces and projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

"On September 16, 2025, the BLA ambushed a Pakistani military convoy patrolling the corridor, killing 32 troops. While counter-terrorism operations by Pakistan restricted the BLA's operational space, it remained active."

The report added that some member states reported the BLA collaborated with TTP and ISIL-K through shared training camps and resources, coordinating attacks and meetings between commanders. Some member states assessed there was neither an association nor growing ties between the BLA and Al Qaeda or ISIL.

It further highlighted that various groups in Afghanistan had acquired modern weapons and equipment through cross-border smuggling and black-market trade.

"TTP used advanced assault rifles, night-vision devices, thermal-imaging devices, sniper systems and drone attack systems. Most of these were provided by the de facto authorities in conjunction with weapons permits and travel documents," it said.

In August 2025, the UN's 1988 Taliban sanctions committee monitoring team's annual report said outlawed terrorist groups - BLA, including its Majeed Brigade, and TTP had "close coordination".

The UNSC report said "some BLA attacks showed a high degree of complexity and brutality", citing the hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan on March 11, 2025, which killed 31 people, including 21 hostages.