RAWALPINDI(National Times)- Security forces have killed four more terrorists during an operation in the Khad Kocha area of Balochistan\u2019s Mastung district, the interior ministry and state broadcaster said on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
State broadcaster Radio Pakistan<\/em> initially reported operation, saying that the terrorists belonged to Fitna-al-Hindustan<\/em> \u2014 a term that the state uses for Balochistan-based groups to highlight<\/u><\/a> India\u2019s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It quoted security sources as saying that large quantities of weapons and ammunition were recovered from the slain terrorists while several others, suspected of involvement in facilitating terrorism, were apprehended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sources further said that search and clearance operations are ongoing in the area while security forces continue to maintain comprehensive surveillance, according to Radio Pakistan<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Later, the operation and the fatalities among the terrorists were confirmed in an X post by the interior ministry, which said that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had lauded the security forces for the successful operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The statement said, \u201cThe interior minister commended the professional capabilities of the security forces after the killing of the four terrorists.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It further said that full-scale and effective operations were under way against terrorrists in Balochistan and quoted Naqvi as saying that the alliance between the Fitna-al-Khawarij<\/em> \u2014 a term the state uses for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan \u2014 and Fitna-al-Hindustan<\/em> could not destroy peace in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n State-run PTV News<\/em> also reported that Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, too, had commended the security forces over the operation and foiling the \u201cnefarious designs of the terrorists by killing them\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Thursday, security sources said that six terrorists were killed<\/a> in a security operation in the Khud Kocha during an operation launched on the basis of credible intelligence. The sources added that several individuals, including women suicide bombers and their facilitators, were arrested during the action while several terrorist hideouts were also destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Security officials said the Balochistan Home Department had imposed a curfew in the Khud Kocha area on Wednesday night to facilitate the operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The indefinite curfew<\/a> was imposed after three people were killed and five others injured in a gun attack on a Karachi-bound passenger bus, and a bridge on the National Highway was damaged in an explosion in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These attacks take place as Balochistan continues to face security challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before the curfew was imposed on Wednesday, the military\u2019s media affairs wing said in a statement in the afternoon that security forces had killed 10 terrorists and apprehended two female suicide bombers, along with their facilitator, during operations in Balochistan\u2019s Surab and Mastung districts over the past 48 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier this month, security forces and law enforcement personnel jointly launched Operation Shaban in Balochistan in retaliation for a deadly attack<\/u><\/a> on a police post at the Mangi Dam pumping station in Ziarat on July 6. During that assault, armed attackers kidnapped and killed 27 police officers<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A monthly security assessment released<\/u><\/a> in early June by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) said<\/u><\/a> that after two consecutive months of improvement, Pakistan\u2019s security situation deteriorated sharply in May, driven primarily by escalating terrorist violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The report<\/u><\/a> said Balochistan emerged as the most affected province during the month. The province recorded 71 terrorist attacks, compared with 34 in April, representing a 109pc increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The deteriorating security situation was further reflected in a surge in kidnappings, it said. Of the 54 abductions reported nationwide during May, 52 occurred in Balochistan alone, highlighting the growing operational reach and confidence of terrorist groups in the province, it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On July 9, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the country\u2019s civil and military leadership had taken a \u201cmutual and singular decision<\/u><\/a>\u201d to end terrorism after multiple major terrorist incidents<\/u><\/a> in Balochistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He made the remarks at a meeting in Quetta of the Provincial Apex Committee on the National Action Plan<\/u><\/a>, with Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir also present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PM Shehbaz\u2019s statement came a day after the military Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry addressed a press conference<\/u><\/a>, pointing the finger squarely at India and Afghanistan for being behind recent attacks in Balochistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He specifically mentioned \u201cthree major terrorist incidents\u201d in recent days \u2014 an armed attack<\/u><\/a> on the outskirts of Quetta on July 5, an assault on a police post<\/u><\/a> in Ziarat on July 6, and an ambush of an army convoy in Bela on July 7.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" RAWALPINDI(National Times)- Security forces have killed four more terrorists during an operation in the Khad Kocha area of Balochistan\u2019s Mastung district, the interior ministry and state broadcaster said on Friday. State broadcaster Radio Pakistan initially reported operation, saying that the terrorists belonged to Fitna-al-Hindustan \u2014 a term that the state uses for Balochistan-based groups to highlight India\u2019s alleged role in terrorism […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":129966,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n