RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s security forces killed seven terrorists of an “Indian backed” terrorist network during a counterterrorism operation in the southwestern Balochistan province, while five soldiers, including an army officer, were martyred in the exchange of fire, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday.
According to the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), on Wednesday morning, troops of the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps Balochistan launched an area sanitisation operation in the Nosham area of Barkhan district to eliminate terrorists of Indian backed “Fitna Al Hindustan”.
“Fitna al-Hindustan” is a state term referring to the Indian sponsored terrorist groups operating in Balochistan.
“During the operation, a group of terrorists was located and engaged by troops. During the fire exchange, seven terrorists of Indian backed Fitna Al Hindustan were sent to hell,” ISPR said.
Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed terrorists during the counterterrorism operation, ISPR said.
However, during an intense fire exchange, five soldiers, including a field officer, embraced martyrdom.
The martyred soldiers include Major Tauseef Ahmed Bhatti (resident of Pakpattan district), Naik Fida Hussain (resident of Sukkur district), Sepoy Zakir Hussain (resident of Skardu district), Sepoy Suhail Ahmed (resident of Khanewal district) and Sepoy Muhammad Ayaz (resident of Rahim Yar Khan district), ISPR said.
A sanitisation operation is continuing in the surrounding areas to eliminate any other “Indian-sponsored” terrorists present in the area, the military said.
The “relentless” counterterrorism campaign by Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies under the vision of “Azm-e-Istehkam”, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, will continue at full pace, ISPR said.
Security forces and law enforcement agencies remain committed to eliminating the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country, the military resolved.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in cross-border terrorist attacks, particularly in the bordering provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Taliban regime to prevent Afghan soil from being used by terrorist groups to carry out attacks inside Pakistan.
However, the Afghan Taliban regime failed to act against terror groups involved in countless attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians.
Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq in February this year, months after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire in October 2025, following clashes triggered by unprovoked gunfire by the Afghan Taliban regime at multiple border points.
Despite many rounds of talks, both countries have so far failed to reach an agreement due to the Afghan Taliban regime’s reluctance to take action against terrorist outfits operating from Afghanistan.
