Security forces kill 32 terrorists in KP, Balochistan operations: ISPR

Security forces killed 32 terrorists, including 24 in Khyber district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and eight in Nushki district of Balochistan, during two separate intelligence-based operations, the army’s media wing said on Wednesday.

The intelligence-based operations were launched following terrorist attacks in the area. Earlier, 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.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operations were carried out “in continuation of security forces’ operations against terror nexus of Indian-sponsored groups.” Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan,” as part of a broader counterterrorism campaign.

Fitna al-Hindustan is the term used by the State for terrorists belonging to the banned Balochistan Liberation Army and other groups in Balochistan. While Fitna al-Khawarij is the state-designated term for the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The ISPR said that “comprehensive joint operations are being carried out in different parts of KP and Balochistan to eliminate terrorists and their facilitators”, adding that security forces had “successfully eliminated 32 terrorists” during the last 24 hours.

The military said that on the night of July 28-29, multiple intelligence-based area disinfection and targeting operations were carried out in Khyber district, where security forces “effectively engaged different terrorist locations”, killing 24 terrorists whom it identified as belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij.

In a separate operation in Nushki district of Balochistan, security forces carried out multiple intelligence-based operations in which, after “an intense face-off”, eight terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Hindustan They were murdered, according to the ISPR.

The military said weapons, ammunition and improvised explosive devices used by the terrorists were “recovered and destroyed during the operations.”

The ISPR added that sanitization operations were being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area. He further said that the “relentless campaign against terrorism under the ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ vision”, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on National Action Plan, “will continue at full pace to eliminate the menace of foreign sponsored and supported terrorism from the country”.

President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to security forces and law enforcement agencies for successful intelligence-based operations, praising their “professional capabilities” in killing 32 terrorists.

The president said Pakistan would “thwart at all costs the nefarious designs of Indian-backed terrorist elements”, adding that “the nation stands by its gallant armed forces”.

In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also praised the security forces for their successful operations. “We will continue the fight against terrorism until this threat is eliminated from the country,” the prime minister said.

He added that security forces were “carrying out effective operations against terrorists who seek to undermine the peace of our beloved homeland.”

“The entire nation, including me, stands shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan Armed Forces in our unwavering resolve to protect the motherland,” the prime minister said.

The news comes a day after three people, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), were martyred, a truck driver was injured, six workers were kidnapped and five trailers along with two gas tankers were set on fire in separate incidents across Balochistan.

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.

Also read: Three more terrorists killed in ongoing Operation Shaban: security sources

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.