Five more terrorists killed in ongoing Operation Shaban: security sources

• Operation Shaban to continue until last militant is eliminated.
• 42 people martyred in three recent Balochistan terror attacks.
• Large cache of weapons, ammunition recovered from killed militants.

QUETTA: Five more terrorists were gunned down during fresh operations in Balochistan, raising the total number of militants killed in Operation Shaban to 76, security sources said on Monday.

The security sources said that since July 5, a total of 114 militants had been killed in Operation Shaban and other intelligence-based operations (IBOs) carried out across the province. They reiterated that the operation would continue until the last militant was eliminated.

Earlier, the security sources had said that four more India-backed terrorists were killed in Balochistan’s Saran Tangai area during the ongoing operation, taking the death toll at the time to 71.

A large cache of weapons and ammunition was also recovered from the killed militants, including M4 rifles, submachine guns, rocket launchers, mobile phones and other equipment.

Operation Shaban was launched in the aftermath of a deadly attack on the Mangi Dam police station in Ziarat and is being conducted jointly by the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police.

While security forces have inflicted heavy losses on militants, 42 people, including security personnel and civilians, were martyred in three recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan.

ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had said last week that India-backed terrorists attacked the checkpoint but police personnel fought bravely, killing 15 militants in the initial engagement.

Nine police personnel embraced martyrdom in the initial fighting, while militants also took police personnel hostage before security forces reached the area.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban came to power in 2021.

In response, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, targeting terrorist hideouts across the border, killing scores of Afghan Taliban operatives and injuring hundreds more.

In October 2025, border clashes erupted after the Afghan Taliban and allied militants launched unprovoked attacks on Pakistani border posts, resulting in the deaths of over 200 Taliban fighters and allied militants, while 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred defending the country.

Despite several rounds of talks, both countries have been unable to reach an agreement, largely due to the Afghan Taliban regime’s reluctance to act against terrorist outfits operating from Afghan soil.