RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s security forces killed eight terrorists belonging to the “Indian proxy” terrorist groups during an intelligence-based operation in Kalat district of southwestern Balochistan province of the country, the military’s media affairs wing said on Thursday.
In a statement, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said security forces conducted the operation in Kalat on December 24 on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to “Indian proxy Fitna al Hindustan”.
“Fitna al Hindustan” is a state term referring to all the banned terrorist groups operating in Balochistan to highlight India’s role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan.
During the conduct of the operation, security forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, eight “Indian sponsored” terrorists were killed, ISPR stated.
Weapons, ammunition, and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area, ISPR said.
The military’s media wing stated that sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian sponsored terrorists found in the area. The relentless counterterrorism campaign by security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue at full pace to wipe out “foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country”, ISPR stated.
The counterterrorism campaign was initiated under the vision “Azm e Istehkam” as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan.
Kalat lies in central Balochistan along the mountainous belt south of Quetta. It intersects key regional routes, including the N-25 highway linking Quetta with Karachi and Gwadar.
The district is about 140 to 160 kilometres south of Quetta by road and sits at an elevation of around 2,000 metres above sea level.
Its mountainous and semi-arid terrain, marked by narrow valleys and plateaux, has long complicated security operations and restricted road access.
The rugged and sparsely populated landscape has historically provided hideouts for terrorist groups and enabled movement corridors in the region.
Security forces have carried out multiple intelligence-based operations in Kalat and neighbouring districts this year amid a sustained militant threat.
Earlier this month, 12 terrorists were killed during an intelligence-based operation in Kalat.
In early 2025, operations were intensified across central Balochistan, including Khuzdar and Awaran districts, following a rise in attacks targeting infrastructure and security patrols.
Officials say several operations during the first quarter of the year led to arrests and recoveries of arms linked to banned outfits.
In March, Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with the number of deaths in terrorist attacks rising by 45 percent as compared to the previous year.
In October, the Islamabad-based think tank Centre for Research and Security Studies said that violence had surged in the third quarter of 2025 due to a spike in terrorist attacks and intensified counter-terrorism operations.
