Army major martyred in Balochistan IED blast, ISPR says

A Pakistan Army major was martyred in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast during a security operation in Balochistan’s Gwadar district, while security forces killed four terrorists in a separate operation in Kalat district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Monday.

Major Wajahat Waheed, 34, a resident of Lahore, was leading a security force component during clearance operations in the Shadi Kaur area of Pasni tehsil when it was targeted by an IED. “Major Wajahat Waheed, a son of the soil, made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty and embraced shahadat,” the ISPR said.

The operations

The military’s media wing said intelligence agencies had reported multiple hideouts of “Fitna al Hindustan” in Shadi Kaur and in Jattakabad in Kalat district, posing a threat to the local population. The state uses that label for Balochistan-based groups, which it says India sponsors, to highlight India’s role in terrorism and the destabilisation of Pakistan.

• Kalat: in an intelligence-based operation in Jattakabad on October 18, security forces engaged the terrorists’ location. After an intense exchange of fire, four terrorists were killed, the ISPR said, and a large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered.
• Gwadar: clearance operations are continuing in the Shadi Kaur area to eliminate any remaining terrorists. “Sanitisation operations will continue to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area,” the ISPR said.

“The relentless counter-terrorism campaign under the vision of Azm-e-Istehkam, as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, will continue at full pace,” the statement added. It said security forces and law enforcement agencies remain committed to eliminating “the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country”.

Tributes from the president and prime minister

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the security forces for killing the four terrorists and expressed grief over the death of Major Wajahat Waheed. “Major Wajahat Waheed sacrificed his life for the protection of our beloved homeland; the nation is proud of its brave son,” he said in a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. He offered condolences to the officer’s family and prayed for the elevation of his ranks. He also repeated his resolve to continue the fight against foreign-sponsored terrorism until its complete elimination.

President Asif Ali Zardari also paid tribute to the major’s sacrifice and commended the forces for their continued sacrifices and professional services to protect the public. “Every conspiracy by terrorists’ foreign sponsors and their local facilitators will be thwarted,” he said.

Operations across Balochistan

The Monday statement follows a series of operations in the province in recent days, according to Dawn and Dawn-reported ISPR statements:

• On October 17, security forces killed eight “India-sponsored” terrorists in three intelligence-based operations in Quetta, Nushki and Khuzdar. Five were killed in the Panjpai area of Quetta when, the ISPR said, they tried to set up a roadblock to disrupt traffic. Two were killed in Nushki and one in Khuzdar, where 490 kilograms of explosives were recovered.
• Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said on that occasion that operations would continue until terrorism was completely eradicated. “There will be no compromise on Pakistan’s integrity, peace, and the protection of its people,” he said.
• On the night of October 12 and 13, security forces killed five terrorists in an operation in Washuk.
• Balochistan government officials said days later that six terrorists affiliated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, two would-be female suicide bombers and two commanders of a banned organisation had been arrested. Around 90 arrested terrorists were being held at a centre where investigations and legal proceedings were under way, they said.

Balochistan has seen a rise in terrorist activity in recent years. Data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) showed attacks in the province rising seven per cent, from 83 in July to 89 in August, and it was declared the province “most affected” by terrorism.

Why it matters

The loss of a young officer leading a clearance operation is a reminder of the risks the forces take in the province, even as operations continue at pace. The government’s position, set out by the prime minister, the president and the ISPR, is that the campaign under Azm-e-Istehkam will continue until the threat is eliminated. Read our reports on security forces killing 18 terrorists in KP and Balochistan and on Pakistan’s operations along the Afghan border.

This article draws on reporting by The Express Tribune and Dawn.