Security forces kill 18 terrorists in KP and Balochistan operations

Security forces killed 18 terrorists in separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, state media reported on Wednesday, citing security sources.

Thirteen were killed in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in North Waziristan, and five more in Balochistan’s Mastung district, according to Pakistan TV. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the dead militants in both areas.

North Waziristan

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan TV said the forces “killed 13 Fitna al-Khawarij terrorists” in North Waziristan as operations against militant groups continue under the Azm-e-Istehkam vision. Security sources told Geo News that the forces struck militant hideouts in the district and nearby areas.

Fitna al-Khawarij is the term the state uses for terrorists of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Radio Pakistan also reported the 13 deaths, crediting a “successful” IBO.

Mastung

In Balochistan, security forces killed five terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Hindustan in Mastung, Pakistan TV reported. The broadcaster said heavy weapons and ammunition were seized, and that clearance and search operations were under way in the area under Operation Radd-ul-Fitna 3.

Fitna al-Hindustan is the state’s designation for Balochistan-based terrorist groups. Pakistan uses the term to highlight what it says is India’s role in sponsoring terrorism and destabilisation across the country. Security sources quoted by Geo News described all 18 militants as India-backed.

Leaders praise the forces

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended the security forces, Radio Pakistan reported.

The president called the operations “a clear expression of the firm resolve against terrorist elements”.

The prime minister said operations against Fitna al-Khawarij would continue until terrorism is completely eliminated and lasting peace is established. He said terrorists trying to undermine the country’s peace and security would not be allowed to succeed in their “nefarious designs”.

A run of operations

Wednesday’s operations follow a steady series of raids in both provinces:

• October 6: five terrorists killed in another IBO in North Waziristan.
• October 2: seven terrorists killed in North Waziristan.
• September 30: three killed in Mir Ali, with five more killed the day before in Bara.
• September 28: four killed in Dera Ismail Khan.
• September 27: the military’s media wing said more than 71 terrorists had been killed in Shaban and other parts of Balochistan over the previous 96 hours.

The militants have also struck hard. On September 26, a suicide blast at the Aman Mela police checkpost in Darazinda tehsil of DI Khan killed 12 people and injured 35. On September 18, an attack on the old Police Lines in Kohat killed 23 people and wounded about 100.

Why it matters

Attacks have been rising for months. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad think tank, recorded 225 militant attacks across the country in September, up from 199 in August. That was the highest monthly total in 12 years and the third monthly rise in a row.

PICSS data also showed Balochistan’s attacks climbing from 83 in July to 89 in August, with the think tank naming it the province most affected by terrorism. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, excluding the merged districts, attacks rose from 36 in July to 54 in August.

Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to stop militant groups from using Afghan territory to attack Pakistan. Pakistan maintains that the Afghan Taliban authorities have failed to act against groups that target its security forces and civilians, and the issue remains the main point of dispute between the two neighbours despite several rounds of talks.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn, Geo News and Radio Pakistan.