Four Indian-sponsored terrorists gunned down in Khuzdar: ISPR

• Military's media wing says weapons and ammunition recovered.
• ISPR says security forces effectively engage terrorist location.
• ISPR says terrorists eliminated in intense fire exchange.

RAWALPINDI: Security forces eliminated four terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy "Fitna al-Hindustan" in an intelligence-based operation (IBO)  in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the military’s media wing, the IBO was conducted by security forces on September 17 on the reported presence of militants. 

"During the conduct of the operation, own forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, four Indian sponsored terrorists were sent to hell," the ISPR said.

It added that weapons, ammunition, and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area.

The ISPR said that a sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, reaffirming that the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country.

The Khuzdar IBO comes days five terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy "Fitna al Hindustan" were killed in the same district on Septmeber 14 and 15.

Speaking at the Council’s briefing on Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said that multiple terrorist entities, including Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Majeed Brigade continue to operate from Afghan sanctuaries.

The anti-terror operations are part of the government and the security forces' ongoing efforts to eliminate terrorism as the country has witnessed a surge in cross-border terror incidents since Taliban rulers returned to Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of KP and Balochistan — both of which share border with Afghanistan.

The two nations share a porous border spanning around 2,500 kilometres with several crossing points which hold significance as a key element of regional trade and relations between the people across both sides of the fence.

However, the issue of terrorism remains a key issue for Pakistan, which has urged Afghanistan to prevent its soil from being used by groups such as the TTP to carry out attacks inside the former’s territory.

The country witnessed a sharp escalation in militant attacks in August, with incidents surging by 74% compared to July, according to a report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

The Islamabad-based think tank recorded 194 fatalities from militant attacks during the month.