14 security personnel martyred, 21 terrorists killed in Balochistan clearance operations

14 security personnel embraced martyrdom while thwarting "evil design of terrorists" in Balochistan, the military's media wing said on Monday

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on the night between August 25-26, the terrorists attempted to conduct numerous heinous activities in Balochistan.

On behest of “inimical and hostile forces”, the ISPR said these cowardly acts of terrorism were aimed at disrupting the peaceful environment and development of Balochistan by targeting mainly the innocent civilians, especially in Musa Khel, Kalat and Labela districts.

Resultantly, numerous innocent civilians embraced shahadat.

In Musa Khel district, terrorists stopped a bus in Rara Sham area and maliciously targeted innocent citizens, working in Balochistan to earn their livelihood, the ISPR said.

It went on to say that security forces and law enforcement agencies immediately responded and successfully thwarted the evil design of terrorists and "sent 21 terrorists to hell in ensuing clearance operations, ensuring security and protection of local populace".

However, during the conduct of operations, the statement said 14 brave sons of soil including ten security forces soldiers and four personnel of law enforcement agencies, having fought gallantly, made the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat.

Sanitisation operations are being conducted and the instigators, perpetrators, facilitators and abettors of these heinous and cowardly acts, targeting innocent civilians, will be brought to justice, the statement added.

"Security forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan in step with the nation, remain determined to thwart attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress of Balochistan and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve," the military's media wing said.

The clearance operations were launched as at least 37 people were martyred in different terrorists incidents in Balochistan.

In one of the attacks, at least 23 passengers were killed after being offloaded from passenger buses and trucks in the Rarasham area of Balochistan's Musakhel, police told Geo News on Monday.

Providing details of the incident, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ayub Achakzai said armed men blocked the inter-provincial highway and offloaded passengers from the vehicles.

Separately, at least 10 people, including police and Balochistan Levies personnel, were martyred in a gun attack in Kalat, police told Geo News earlier today.

Kalat Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dostin Dashti said those martyred in the incident included a police sub-inspector, four Levies personnel and five citizens.

Militants also blew up a railway bridge in nearby Bolan district on a track that connects the province to Punjab and Sindh, with six dead bodies found nearby, said Javed Baloch, a senior government official in the district.

Balochistan is Pakistan's poorest province, despite an abundance of untapped natural resources, and lags behind the rest of the country in education, employment and economic development.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks since the Taliban government returned to power in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021, mostly in the northwestern border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but also in southwestern Balochistan, which abuts Afghanistan and Iran.

There were at least 170 militant attacks killing 151 civilians and 114 security personnel in Balochistan last year, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.

Islamabad accuses Kabul's new rulers of failing to root out militants sheltering on Afghan soil as they prepare to stage assaults on Pakistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed "deep grief and condemnation over the terrorist attack" in a statement issued Monday by his office.

— With additional input from AFP