ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces have killed 12 Baloch insurgents during two intelligence-based operations in the southwestern province of Balochistan, the military said on Thursday.
The operations took place in the districts of Washuk and Mastung as part of an ongoing security campaign against armed groups operating in the province. The military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations, said six insurgents were killed in Washuk on August 5 after troops detected their movement and opened an engagement.
A second operation was carried out in Mastung on Thursday. According to the military, six more Baloch insurgents were killed during an exchange of fire, while a hideout was destroyed. Authorities also said weapons, ammunition and improvised explosive devices were recovered during the operations, although independent verification was not immediately available.
The military said the actions were being conducted under Pakistan’s wider counterinsurgency and national security programmes. It vowed to continue operations against armed groups that Islamabad blames for attacks and instability in the province.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by area, has faced a long-running insurgency, with separatist groups demanding greater political rights, control over natural resources and a larger share of the region’s economic benefits. The government has responded with military operations, while rights organisations have raised concerns about civilian safety, enforced disappearances and accountability.
The latest operations follow a similar announcement last week, when the military said eight Baloch insurgents had been killed in the Nushki district.
Security concerns have worsened in recent months. A report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies said Balochistan recorded 71 armed attacks in May, compared with 34 in April, a rise of 109 percent. The report also said that 52 of the 54 abductions reported across Pakistan that month occurred in Balochistan.
The figures underline the growing challenge facing authorities in a province where political tensions, armed violence and uncertainty continue to shape daily life.
