43 terrorists neutralised in Balochistan's Operation Shabaan so far: security sources

Security forces have killed 17 more Indian-backed terrorists during an ongoing operation in Balochistan, bringing the total number of terrorists killed in Operation Shabaan to 43, security sources said on Friday.

The joint operation by the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC) and Balochistan Police was launched in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the Mangi Dam Police Station and remains underway, with forces intensifying action against terrorists across the province.

Terrorists ambushed police personnel deployed in the Kach Mangi Phase III area of Ziarat on Tuesday, triggering hours-long gun battles that left nine police officers, including two station house officers, dead. Terrorists also abducted several civilians and police personnel after the attack. The military subsequently launched a series of counterterrorism operations across Balochistan.

In a statement issued today, security sources said the ongoing operation had further tightened the cordon around terrorists hiding in the region's rugged mountainous terrain, adding that multiple ground and aerial operations were continuing.

Read: 15 Khawarij neutralised as forces avenge 9 cops

It said that in the past 24 hours, security forces killed another 17 terrorists, taking the total number of those killed in Operation Shabaan to 43.

The sources said an attack on a police station in the Zehri area of Khuzdar earlier today was repulsed.

They said swift action by the Pakistan Army and FC troops resulted in the confirmed killing of eight terrorists, while reports suggested that five to six more were killed during helicopter operations.

The joint operation by the Pakistan Army, Balochistan FC and police later continued, with security forces targeting terrorists hiding in the mountains using heavy weapons, the sources said.

During the latest phase of the operation, four more terrorists were killed, while several others were reported injured, according to the sources.

According to the sources, security forces had already killed 26 terrorists during operations conducted on July 6 and 7.

The sources added that since July 5, a total of 79 terrorists had been killed in Operation Shabaan and other intelligence-based operations conducted in the area.

PM, president laud Operation Shabaan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari praised the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC) and Balochistan Police for the success of Operation Shabaan, state broadcaster PTV News reported.

According to PTV News, President Zardari also paid tribute to the Pakistan Army, FC, and Balochistan Police for the success of Operation Shabaan.

"The security forces are fully capable of countering every kind of threat," the president said.

"Those using proxy elements against Pakistan will not succeed in their nefarious designs," he said, adding that India and certain other hostile elements were attempting to tarnish Pakistan's recent diplomatic successes.

"We will take Pakistan's recent achievements to their logical conclusion," the president said.

He said that there would be no compromise on the defence of the homeland and that the state would defeat terrorism at all costs.

PM Shehbaz, in a statement, also commended the security forces for their courage and professionalism, saying the killing of 75 terrorists so far was "clear evidence of the security forces' high professional capabilities."

He also praised the forces' strategy in carrying out operations in difficult mountainous terrain and lauded the Pakistan Army and FC troops for repulsing the terrorist attack on the Khuzdar police station.

"The resolve of the security forces and the nation will remain unwavering until the complete elimination of Fitna al-Khawarij," the prime minister was quoted as saying.

"We will eradicate terrorism from the country and foil every conspiracy aimed at sabotaging peace and order in Balochistan," he said, adding that the entire nation stood shoulder to shoulder with its armed forces and police.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti also hailed Operation Shabaan, saying it was progressing successfully.

He said the joint operation by the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC), and Balochistan Police in the province's rugged mountainous terrain had so far killed 75 terrorists since July 5 under Operation Shabaan and other ongoing intelligence-based operations.

Bugti further said an attack on the Zehri police station in Khuzdar had also been foiled on Friday.

The chief minister said the state's writ would be maintained in Balochistan at all costs and that the terrorists would not escape their fate.

Balochistan has witnessed a series of attacks in recent days that left several security personnel and civilians martyred, while security forces killed several terrorists in retaliatory operations following the attacks.

On Tuesday, an army convoy came under attack in Bela's Winder area along the N-25 highway in Balochistan, leaving at least 11 soldiers, including a junior commissioned officer, martyred.

"The first incident occurred on the night between July 4 and 5, when terrorists belonging to Fitna al Khawarij attacked the local population in Hanna Urak," Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said during a media briefing on Wednesday.

He said the second incident involved a "multi-directional attack" by terrorists belonging to Fitna al Khawarij on a police checkpoint near Pumping Station No 3 of Mangi Dam in Ziarat district.

According to the military spokesperson, 15 terrorists, whom he referred to as "Kharjis", were killed during the ensuing battle, while nine police personnel were martyred in the intense exchange.

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

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 embraced martyrdom later, taking the total number of police personnel martyred to 27.

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

The DG ISPR also said that India, along with other hostile elements, was involved in terrorism inside Pakistan and could not tolerate the country's stability and progress.

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 that the BLA collaborated with TTP and ISIL-K through shared training camps and resources, coordinating attacks and meetings between commanders. Some member states assessed that 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.