ZHOB, August 12: Security forces have killed three more India-backed terrorists in Balochistan’s Zhob district, bringing the total number of militants neutralised in a four-day anti-infiltration operation along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border to 50, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.
The latest engagement took place in the Sambaza area on the night of August 10–11, during which troops recovered weapons, ammunition, and explosives from the slain militants, identified as members of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), described by the military as “Indian proxy Khawarij.”
Earlier, on the night of August 7–8, security forces had foiled a major infiltration attempt from Afghanistan, killing 33 terrorists. A subsequent operation on August 9 eliminated 14 more, raising the total to 47 before the latest action.
“The armed forces remain resolute in defending Pakistan’s borders and defeating all attempts to sabotage peace, stability, and progress,” the ISPR statement read.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded the operation, paying tribute to the troops’ professionalism and courage. “The nation stands shoulder to shoulder with its armed forces against terrorism,” President Zardari said, vowing the fight would continue until terrorism is fully eradicated. PM Shehbaz echoed the sentiment, praising the forces’ tireless efforts in cleansing the country of militants.
The military has accused India of stepping up its proxy war following its defeat in the May conflict, warning that such proxies will meet the same fate — “a crushing defeat.”
Pakistan has faced an uptick in cross-border terrorism since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), June alone saw 78 terrorist attacks, killing at least 100 people, including 53 security personnel and 39 civilians, while 189 others were injured.
