QUETTA (Web Desk) – Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday confirmed that security forces killed 145 terrorists across the province within 40 hours following coordinated attacks, emphasizing the government’s determination to continue its anti-terror campaign.
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According to the military’s media wing, militants of the Balochistan-based group Fitna-al-Hindustan carried out attacks on Saturday, during which 92 terrorists were neutralized in immediate operations. The state has blamed India for backing these groups to destabilize Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference in Quetta, CM Bugti said the counterterror operations resulted in the deaths of 17 law enforcement personnel, including police, Frontier Corps, and one Navy member, while civilian casualties numbered 31. Earlier reports by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) noted 15 security personnel and 18 civilians, including women and children, were killed during the attacks.
The CM highlighted intelligence-based pre-operations in Shaban and Panjgur, which had already killed 40 terrorists, and noted that Quetta was protected from direct assaults planned by militants. He called the Gwadar incident, where five women and three children were killed, “the most painful.”
Bugti asserted that terrorists were attempting to advance on strategic locations, including the Red Zone, but all plans were foiled. He confirmed that the deputy commissioner of Nushki had safely escaped a kidnapping attempt.
The CM condemned the use of civilians, including children, as human shields, and rejected labeling Baloch terrorists as politically motivated, emphasizing that militants aim to impose ideologies through violence, not dialogue.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif described the situation as under control, with ongoing “mopping-up operations” after the attacks were repulsed. He confirmed that attempts to target FC headquarters in Nushki and Dalbadin were foiled, including a thwarted suicide attack.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said security forces operated cautiously to avoid harming civilians used as shields. He also criticized disinformation and AI-generated videos on social media claiming militants controlled cities.
The Balochistan government has imposed a one-month ban on gatherings, face coverings in public, pillion riding, and use of unregistered vehicles under Section 144 of the CrPC.
The attacks drew international condemnation. The United States, Iran, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom expressed solidarity with Pakistan, condemning the terrorist acts and offering condolences to victims’ families.
CM Bugti reaffirmed the government’s resolve, stating, “We will not surrender. We will fight this war on terror and protect Pakistan’s sovereignty at all costs.”
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