QUETTA, PAKISTAN—Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Saturday praised the country’s security forces following an operation in Khuzdar district that reportedly resulted in the elimination of “multiple terrorists.”
In a post on the social media platform X, the Chief Minister stated that in the Zehri area of Khuzdar, security forces had “foiled the enemy’s nefarious designs, killing multiple terrorists and destroying their hideouts.” The chief minister, however, did not specify the exact number of individuals killed in the counter-terrorism operation.
Bugti framed the operational success as a political victory, asserting it was “proof that the people of Balochistan and the forces are together grinding the nefarious designs of the country’s enemies into the dust.”
In a related claim, state broadcaster PTV News posted on X, citing a higher casualty count of over 14 terrorists killed and more than 20 injured. PTV identified the militants as members of “Fitna al-Hindustan.”
This terminology is part of a broader shift in rhetoric, as the government officially designated all terrorist organisations in Balochistan as Fitna al-Hindustan in May. The new phrase is intended to frame India’s alleged involvement in terrorism as a deliberate strategy to destabilize Pakistan, potentially aiming to galvanize domestic public support against external interference.
The operation comes amid a sustained uptick in terrorist activities across Pakistan, primarily concentrated in the western provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Just a day prior, security forces had killed seven terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the province’s Sherani district. Earlier on Wednesday, four terrorists were apprehended during a separate IBO, also conducted in Khuzdar district, highlighting the continued volatility of the region.
