Quetta, Pakistan:
Security forces in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province have apprehended four individuals described as ‘terrorists’ during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Khuzdar district on Wednesday. The action comes as the country continues to grapple with persistent threats of destabilization, which officials frequently link to external state actors.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, stated the operation was conducted following intelligence regarding the presence of ‘terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Hindustan.’ This nomenclature is used by the state to describe Balochistan-based groups, aiming to underscore India’s alleged role in sponsoring terrorism and fomenting instability across Pakistan.
“During the conduct of the operation, own forces apprehended four [terrorists] trying to flee cowardly by disguising in women’s attire,” the ISPR statement detailed. The account highlights the operational risks and the desperate measures reportedly taken by the militants to evade capture.
Authorities also reported the recovery of “weapons and ammunition” from the arrested individuals, who are alleged to have been “actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area.” A subsequent ‘sanitization operation’ is underway to ensure the area is cleared of any remaining threat.
The military has reaffirmed its “unwavering resolve” to eliminate what it terms the “menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism,” stressing the determination of security forces to bring the perpetrators of violence to justice.
This arrest follows a separate, high-casualty operation last week in the Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where security forces claimed to have killed 17 “India-sponsored” terrorists, further drawing attention to the volatile security landscape and the complex geopolitical tensions at play.
