QUETTA: Pakistani security forces have killed 117 militants in Operation Shaban and other counterterrorism operations across Balochistan since 5 July, according to security sources.
The sources said the ongoing Operation Shaban, a joint operation involving the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC) and Balochistan Police, will continue until militants operating in the province are neutralised.
What is the latest development?
Security sources said five more militants were killed during the latest phase of Operation Shaban on Monday, bringing the total number of militants killed in the operation to 76.
They added that the overall number of militants killed in Balochistan since 5 July had reached 117, including those killed in other law enforcement operations.
According to the sources, security forces also recovered a cache of weapons and equipment, including M4 rifles, submachine guns, rocket launchers, mobile phones and ammunition.
Why was Operation Shaban launched?
Operation Shaban was launched following the attack on the Mangi Dam police station in Ziarat.
According to military officials, the operation aims to dismantle militant networks involved in recent attacks across the province.
Earlier, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said militants attacked the police station, where officers resisted the assault before reinforcements arrived.
He said 15 militants were killed during the initial engagement, while nine police personnel lost their lives. Some officers were also taken hostage before security forces secured the area.
What is the broader security situation?
The latest operation follows a series of militant attacks in Balochistan in which 42 people, including civilians and security personnel, were killed.
Pakistan has experienced a rise in militant violence, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, since 2021.
Pakistani authorities have repeatedly said that militant groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan operate from sanctuaries across the border in Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban administration has denied allowing Afghan territory to be used for attacks against neighbouring countries.
Despite several rounds of diplomatic engagement, Islamabad and Kabul have yet to resolve their differences over cross-border militancy.