Security sources say forces destroyed multiple militant hideouts, recovered weapons and explosive material.
Security forces have killed 16 terrorists in ongoing intelligence operations under Operation Al-Azm in Balochistan, where multiple militant hideouts were also destroyed and weapons and explosives recovered, security sources said on Sunday.
The intelligence-based operations were launched following terrorist attacks in the area. Previously, security forces launched Operation Shaban after terrorists attacked the Mangi Dam police station.
A district and sessions judge and his security guard were also killed after unidentified gunmen opened fire on their vehicle on the national highway in Mastung, while another session judge and another person suffered serious injuries.
Sources said counter-terrorism operations were continuing in several parts of the province, including Killi Kundi Umrani, Khad Kocha and Mastung, where the group referred to by the state as Fitna al-Hindustan had suffered great losses.
Fitna al-Hindustan is the term used by the state for terrorists belonging to the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other militant groups operating in the province.
According to sources, security forces destroyed multiple militant hideouts and ambush positions during the operation and recovered weapons and explosive material from the locations.
Sources added that the operations would continue until terrorism is eliminated from Balochistan and peace and order are completely restored.
Read: Naqvi chairs high-level security meeting in Quetta, pledges support to Balochistan
Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Friday expressed determination to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Balochistan, saying that consistent efforts of security forces and law enforcement agencies, backed by the strong support of the people, would bring lasting peace to the province.
Munir said: “The targeted operations against Fitna al Khawarij and Fitna al Hindustan “We will continue with full determination until the menace of terrorism and its accomplices are eliminated from Pakistan.”
UN Security Council confirms increase in TTP attacks from Afghanistan
Terrorism has increased significantly in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, in recent days. The rise in terrorist activity has raised growing concerns about the security situation in these regions. In response, security forces have been carrying out intensive operations to counter the threat, targeting terrorist groups.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC), in a report published in February, also drew attention to a series of attacks by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) on 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 soldiers. Although Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations restricted the BLA’s operational space, it remained active.”
The report added that some member states reported that the BLA collaborated with the TTP and ISIL-K through training camps and shared resources, coordinating attacks and meetings between commanders. Some Member States assessed that there was no association or growing links between the BLA and Al Qaeda or ISIL.
Read more: The number of terrorists killed in Operation Al-Azm in Balochistan reaches 13
He further highlighted that several 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 strike systems. Most of these were provided by de facto authorities along with weapons permits and travel documents,” he said.
In August 2025, the annual report of the follow-up team of the UN’s 1988 Taliban sanctions committee said that the illegal terrorist groups: BLA, including its Majeed Brigade, and TTP had “close coordination”.
The UNSC report said that “some BLA attacks showed a high degree of complexity and brutality”, citing the Jaffar Express hijacking in Balochistan on March 11, 2025, in which 31 people were killed, including 21 hostages.
