ISLAMABAD — At least 18 security personnel and 23 terrorists were killed during
clashes between the two sides in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province.
The military said the terrorists were killed in different
areas of troubled Balochistan in the last 24 hours.
In one such operation in Harnai district on Saturday,
national troops effectively engaged the terrorists, killing 11 militants and
destroying multiple terrorist hideouts.
Earlier on Friday night, 12 terrorists were killed while
security forces successfully thwarted militants' attempt to establish
roadblocks in the Mangocher area of Kalat.
“Thus far a total of 23 terrorists have been sent to hell
in different operations in Balochistan in the last 24 hours,” the army said,
adding the sanitization operations will continue until perpetrators and
facilitators of the heinous and cowardly act are brought to justice.
The army said the security forces were determined to wipe
out the menace of terrorism from not only Balochistan but the entire Pakistan.
However, no one immediately claimed responsibility for
the attacks.
Balochistan is in the grip of violence perpetrated by the
Baloch extremists who regularly attack the security forces and people belonging
to other provinces.
Balochistan is Pakistan's largest province but, although
it has more resources than other provinces, it is the least developed.
The incident comes less than a day after separate
anti-terrorist operations by the security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
At least 10 terrorists in five operations in different
areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the ISPR said on Friday.
The operations are part of a sustained effort as the
country witnessed a surge in violent attacks since the Taliban returned to
power in Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of KP and
Balochistan.
Terror attacks have increased since the banned militant
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan group broke a fragile ceasefire agreement with the
government.
With at least 685 members of security forces losing their
lives amid a total of 444 terror attacks, 2024 turned out to be the deadliest
year for the civil and military security forces of Pakistan in a decade.
