ISLAMABAD/QUETTA — Security forces have neutralized three more terrorists during an ongoing intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Khad Kocha area of Balochistan’s Mastung district, raising the total number of terrorists eliminated in this specific operation to 13. Dubbed “Operation Al-Azm,” the high-intensity counterterrorism offensive was launched under an indefinite curfew following a deadly highway shooting on a Karachi-bound coach coming from Quetta that claimed three lives earlier this week. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the developments, highly commending the professionalism and relentless efforts of the security forces in their counterterrorism actions across the province.
According to security sources cited by state media, the targeted groups—referred to by officials under the term “Fitna al-Hindustan”—sustained heavy operational losses, with six terrorists eliminated on Thursday, four on Friday, and three on Saturday. During the precision raids, law enforcement agencies completely destroyed several insurgent hideouts, recovering a cache of weapons, ammunition, and materials utilized for manufacturing improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The heightened security enforcement follows a volatile week in the region, which also witnessed the tragic targeted assassination of District and Sessions Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar. Amid the ongoing clearance operations, Balochistan Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove emphasized that while kinetic operations remain active, the provincial leadership retains a strong commitment to finding a sustainable political resolution through institutional dialogue.
