Kharan Operation Raises Questions Over Civilian Safety in Balochistan
QUETTA — Pakistan’s security forces say they have killed seven suspected militants in an intelligence based operation in Kharan district of Balochistan, while local sources have reported that a civilian was killed during a separate reported drone strike in the same area. The conflicting accounts have drawn fresh attention to the risks faced by civilians as Pakistan intensifies military operations against armed groups in the troubled province.
According to Pakistan’s state media, the operation took place in the Lajay area under the country’s ongoing counterterrorism campaign, known as Operation Radd-ul-Fitna 3. Several other militants were reportedly injured. Security forces said they recovered weapons, ammunition, two vehicles and a motorcycle from suspected militant hideouts.
President Asif Ali Zardari praised the operation, describing the destruction of militant hideouts and the recovery of weapons as an important achievement. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also commended the security forces for what he called their professional performance.
The military has reported a series of similar operations across Balochistan in recent days. Ten militants were reportedly killed in an operation in Khuzdar district, while the military said 18 militants were killed in Surab district, including eight in what it described as a premature explosion. Five militants, including a senior commander, were also reported killed in an operation in Panjgur district.
However, accounts from local sources present a different and more troubling picture of the Kharan operation. Residents said military drones and helicopters were active over the Lijay area as ground forces conducted operations. Local sources reported that a farmer, identified as Sultan Mohammad, was killed in a suspected drone strike. The report has not been independently verified, and further civilian casualties have also been alleged.
The reported death comes amid wider concerns about civilian protection in Balochistan, where military operations and attacks by armed groups have intensified. Local residents and rights advocates have repeatedly raised concerns that civilians may be caught between security operations and militant violence.
Reports of airstrikes in nearby Surab district have also raised concern, with local sources alleging that more than 20 civilians, including women and children, were affected. Such claims remain difficult to independently verify because access to several conflict affected areas is limited.
The human cost of the worsening violence is reflected in recent figures from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. Its July assessment said deaths in Balochistan rose sharply compared with June, with security personnel, militants and civilians all among those killed.
While Pakistani authorities say their operations are necessary to protect national security and defeat armed groups, allegations of civilian casualties underline the need for transparency, independent investigations and effective protection of civilians. The competing accounts from Kharan show the difficulty of separating military success from its human consequences in a province where insecurity has already taken a heavy toll.
