Pakistan’s security forces have killed 17 militants in a series of intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across several districts of Balochistan, the military’s media wing announced, days after a deadly train attack in Quetta.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement issued Tuesday that the operations were conducted in Mastung, Nushki, Zehri, Khuzdar and Ketch districts as part of a stepped-up counterterrorism response following the May 24 train incident.
“Following intense and fierce exchanges of fire, seventeen terrorists belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna al-Hindustan have been sent to hell,” the ISPR stated, adding that the operations dealt a significant blow to terrorist networks in the region.
Security forces also recovered a large cache of weapons, ammunition, explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from the slain militants, who the military said were involved in multiple terrorism-related activities across the area.
Sanitisation operations, the ISPR noted, are still underway to eliminate any remaining militants in the affected districts.
The military added that security forces, alongside law enforcement agencies, remain committed to the “Azm-e-Istehkam” campaign approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan which targets foreign-sponsored militancy across Pakistan.
“The relentless counterterrorism campaign will continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from Pakistan,” the statement read.
The operations came after a suicide bomber struck a passenger shuttle train near Chaman Phatak in Quetta on May 24, killing at least 14 people including three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel and wounding 20 others.
The blast hit shortly after 8am as the train made its way from Quetta Cantonment Railway Station toward the city station.
The explosion damaged train compartments, nearby vehicles and surrounding houses. Women and children were among the injured, many of them rushed to hospitals. The Balochistan Home Department confirmed in an official statement that a Vehicle-Borne Suicide Bomber had targeted the shuttle service.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a banned militant outfit, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to AFP. Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing and said that such attacks would not weaken the resolve of the Pakistani people.
