7 more terrorists killed as Operation Shaban continues in Balochistan: state media

Security forces killed another seven terrorists during the ongoing Operation Shaban in Balochistan, following which the total number of terrorists killed in the operation reached 71, according to state-run Radio Pakistan.

Operation Shaban is being jointly carried out across the province by the army, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police following the terrorist July 7 attack in the Mangi Dam area, in which 27 police personnel were martyred.

Citing security sources, Radio Pakistan said a total of 109 “khawarij terrorists” have been killed in Operation Shaban and other intelligence-based operations in Balochistan since July 5.

The outlet had earlier reported that three terrorists were killed, and later said another four were eliminated in the Saran Tangi area.

Security sources said a large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the possession of the killed terrorists. The recovered weapons include M4 rifles, submachine guns, rocket launchers, mobile phones, and other equipment.

Security sources reaffirmed that Operation Shaban will continue in Balochistan until the last terrorist is eliminated.

PTV News reported that air and ground operations against Fitna-al-Khawarij — a term the state uses for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — were also ongoing.

In the July 7 attack on a police checkpost, terrorists had martyred nine police personnel and taken away 18 other cops at gunpoint. Later, they killed the abducted police personnel, whose bodies were found in the Zarghoon Gar mountainous area.

Following Sunday’s update of the killing of three more terrorists in Operation Shaban, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi lauded the security forces, the FC and police.

“The action by the Pakistan Army, FC and police is reflective of the protection of national security. […] There is no place for terrorist elements in Pakistan,” he was quoted as saying by his ministry.

He added that the nation was standing with the security forces and action against terrorists would continue.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the country’s civil and military leadership had taken a “mutual and singular decision” to end terrorism after multiple major terrorist incidents in Balochistan.

He made the remarks at a meeting of the Provincial Apex Committee on the National Action Plan in Quetta, with Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir also present.

Chairing the meeting, PM Shehbaz said, “One thing is decided: it is a mutual and singular decision of the civil and military leadership that we must end terrorism collectively.”

The meeting was held a day after Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry shared during a press conference that at least 42 people — four civilians, 27 policemen and 11 security personnel — have lost their lives in terrorist attacks and subsequent operations in Balochistan since July 5.