Islamabad, Pakistan
Pakistan’s security forces have conducted a significant intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Balochistan’s Sherani district, resulting in the killing of seven militants. The military’s media affairs wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), referred to the deceased as “Indian-sponsored terrorists,” linking them to external hostile forces.
In a statement released on Friday, the ISPR confirmed that the operation was executed on October 1 following credible intelligence regarding the presence of terrorists identified as belonging to ‘Fitna al Khawarij’, a term the state uses to denote militants from the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“During the conduct of the operation, own forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, seven Indian-sponsored terrorists were sent to hell,” the ISPR stated.
Weapons, ammunition, and explosives were also recovered from the location. The militants were described as having been actively involved in “numerous terrorist activities” in the area. A comprehensive sanitization operation is currently underway to eliminate any remaining terrorists in the vicinity.
The ISPR emphasized the resolve of the security apparatus, stating that the forces are determined to “wipe out the menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country” and committed to bringing perpetrators of terrorism to justice.
Political Commitment Amid Rising Threat
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded the armed forces for the successful operation, reiterating the state’s firm resolve to uproot terrorism. “We will never allow those who seek to harm Pakistan’s integrity to succeed,” the Prime Minister was quoted as saying by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
The operation comes against a backdrop of a worrying surge in militant attacks across Pakistan, particularly in the border regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan. These attacks predominantly target police, law enforcement agencies, and security forces personnel. The escalation in violence intensified after the banned TTP unilaterally broke a ceasefire agreement with the government in late 2022.
Recent reports from research bodies indicate that militant violence in the first three quarters of 2025 has reached levels nearly equivalent to the entire preceding year, highlighting the severe and persistent security challenge facing the nation.
