ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have eliminated 13 militants allegedly backed by India in two separate operations carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), reported on Sunday.
A joint intelligence-based operation was launched in KP’s Malakand district from July 16 to July 20, involving police, paramilitary Levies, and local administration. During the operation, security forces successfully cordoned off and engaged militant positions. Following intense gunfights, nine militants were killed and eight others captured alive.
“Two militant hideouts were destroyed, and a large cache of weapons, ammunition, and explosives was recovered,” ISPR said in its statement. It added that sanitization operations were ongoing to clear any remaining militant presence in the area.
In a separate engagement in Balochistan’s Kalat district, four more militants allegedly linked to India were neutralized. Security personnel also recovered arms and explosives from the site. The ISPR said these individuals were actively involved in various terror activities across the region.
Meanwhile, in South Waziristan, seven police officers were reportedly abducted in two separate incidents, according to local media citing police sources. A search operation was underway to locate and recover the missing officers.
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Pakistan continues to combat dual insurgencies — one driven by religiously motivated groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in KP, and another led by Baloch separatist groups in Balochistan. Islamabad has repeatedly accused India of supporting both religious extremists and ethnic separatists operating on its soil — an allegation New Delhi has consistently denied.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended the armed forces for the successful counterterror operations in Malakand and Kalat, calling them “a model of institutional coordination.”
“The entire nation stands with its armed forces in the fight against terrorism,” the premier stated.