QUETTA, Pakistan: Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the police has killed 14 terrorists during separate operations in south-western Balochistan province.
Officials from the CTD on Wednesday stated that an intelligence-based targeted operation was conducted in the Darakhshan area of Quetta, leading to a heavy exchange of gunfire.
During the encounter, eight terrorists were killed, while three CTD personnel were injured. The wounded officers were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Authorities reported that a large cache of weapons and ammunition was also recovered from the terrorists.
Security forces sealed off the area and carried out a thorough search operation. Initial findings indicate that the deceased suspects were affiliated with a banned organisation.
In a separate intelligence-driven operation in Barkhan, six more suspected terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire.
CTD officials said the individuals were involved in terrorist activities. A considerable quantity of arms and explosives was also recovered during that operation.
Interior Minister praises CTD
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has commended the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Balochistan for its successful operation in the Darakhshan area of Quetta, which resulted in the killing of eight Khawarij.
In an official statement, the Minister lauded the professionalism and valour displayed by the CTD personnel, emphasising their crucial contribution to maintaining peace and security in the region.
He also prayed for the swift and complete recovery of the three officers injured during the intense encounter and thanked them for their unwavering dedication to eradicating terrorism.
The term Fitna al-Khawarij is used by Pakistan’s government and military to refer to the banned terrorist groups, most prominently the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in cross-border terror incidents since Taliban rulers returned to Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.
Pakistan said the Afghan Taliban regime’s continued support for terrorist groups had enabled them to carry out attacks against the Pakistan military and civilian population along the Pak-Afghan border and in adjoining areas.
In March 2025, 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 last year, 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.
