Pakistan forces kill 41 militants in Balochistan raids

According to a military statement, 30 militants were killed in an operation in Panjgur district, while 11 others died in a separate raid in Harnai district. Both operations were carried out on Thursday, and no security personnel were reported killed.

The military alleged that the militants were backed by neighboring India, though it provided no evidence to support the claim. It said those killed had been involved in multiple attacks on security forces as well as bank robberies in the region.

The statement added that sanitization operations were ongoing in both districts to locate and eliminate any remaining militants.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in separate statements, praised the security forces for what they described as successful counterterrorism operations.

Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in militant violence in recent months, which authorities largely attribute to Baloch separatist groups and the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The TTP is a separate group but maintains links with Afghanistan’s Taliban, who returned to power in August 2021.

Balochistan, which shares a long border with Afghanistan, has faced a decades-long insurgency led by separatist groups seeking greater autonomy or independence. The province has also been targeted by the Pakistani Taliban, the banned Baloch Liberation Army, and other militant groups, including the Islamic State.

Despite official claims that the insurgency has largely been contained, violence continues in several parts of the province.