Security forces have killed 16 terrorists in ongoing intelligence-based operations under Operation Al-Azm in Balochistan, where multiple militant hideouts have also been destroyed and weapons and explosives recovered, security sources said on Sunday.
The intelligence-based operations have been launched in the aftermath of the 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 armed men opened fire on their vehicle on the national highway in Mastung, while an additional sessions judge and another person sustained serious injuries.
The sources said counterterrorism 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 heavy 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 the sources, security forces destroyed multiple militant hideouts and ambush positions during the operation and recovered weapons and explosive material from the sites.
The sources added that operations would continue until terrorism is eliminated from Balochistan and peace and order are fully restored.
Read: Naqvi chairs high-level security meeting in Quetta, vows support for Balochistan
On Friday, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir expressed a resolve to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Balochistan, saying consistent efforts by security forces and law enforcement agencies, backed by the steadfast support of the people, would bring lasting peace to the province.
Munir said, "Targeted operations against Fitna al Khawarij and Fitna al Hindustan will continue with full resolve until the menace of terrorism and its abettors are eliminated from Pakistan."
UNSC confirms rise in TTP attacks from Afghanistan
Terrorism has significantly increased in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 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 a report released in 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 the 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.
Read more: Number of terrorists killed in Balochistan's Operation Al-Azm reaches 13
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.
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