KALAT – Pakistani security forces intensified counter-terrorism operations across Balochistan, with major operation reported from Kalat in where five militants were killed and 23 abducted people were rescued.
Army’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) shared details of major security operation along Balochistan’s N-25 Karachi-Chaman highway to recover 23 abducted people and the deaths of five militants.
The operation unfolded during night of September 18-19 when militants briefly captured Pakistan Expressway, and group was using the checkpoint to target travelers and motorists, allegedly carrying out kidnappings for ransom, extortion and vehicle snatching.
Security forces moved against the militants after the checkpoint was identified. An intense exchange of fire followed, during which five militants were killed, ISPR reported.
The military identified the dead as members of Fitna-al-Hindustan, operating in Balochistan. Inside a nearby militant hideout, security personnel discovered 23 abducted individuals and brought them to safety, according to ISPR. Authorities also recovered six trucks, three buses and two cars, along with what the military described as large quantities of weapons, ammunition and explosives.
Security forces subsequently launched clearance and search operations in surrounding areas. According to ISPR, the objective was to locate any remaining militants while securing nearby communities and restoring safety along one of the region’s major transportation routes.
The military called this operation another setback for militants attempting to disrupt movement through Balochistan. It also linked the latest action to the continuing counter-terrorism campaign being conducted under Azm-i-Istehkam.
ISPR said security and law-enforcement agencies would continue operations against what it describes as foreign-sponsored and foreign-supported terrorism.
The repeated appearance of major highways in these incidents has added another dimension to Balochistan’s security crisis.
N-25, N-40 and N-50 routes are important transport corridors connecting different parts of the province and linking Balochistan with other regions. Reports of militants establishing checkpoints, targeting travelers, attempting kidnappings and demanding extortion payments have consequently raised concerns over the security of civilian movement and commercial transportation.
The latest Kalat operation is particularly significant because authorities reported both the recovery of a large group of abducted people and the seizure of multiple commercial vehicles from the militants’ hideout.
For security forces, the operation is being presented as part of a continuing effort to prevent militant groups from establishing control over transportation routes and surrounding areas.
The series of operations from Kalat and Chagai to Awaran, Panjgur, Kharan, Washuk, Mastung, Quetta and Sibi shows current security campaign in mineral rich region. Authorities increasingly relied on intelligence-based operations to locate militant positions before launching attacks. The reported recovery of weapons, explosives and vehicles has accompanied several of these operations.
‘Fix Terrorism or We Will’: DG ISPR’s Message to Afghan Taliban leaves Little Room for any doubt
The post 23 Abductees Rescued as Pakistani Forces gun down 5 Militants in Kalat Operation: ISPR appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
About the Author
