Four more terrorists killed in ongoing Operation Shaban: security sources | The Express Tribune

Four more terrorists were killed on Tuesday during the ongoing Operation Shaban, taking the total number of terrorists killed in the operation to 83 across Balochistan since July 5, security sources said.

The joint operation by the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC) and Balochistan Police was launched in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on Mangi Dam Police Station and remains underway, with forces intensifying action against terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij across the province.

Fitna al-Khawarij is the term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Terrorists ambushed police personnel deployed in the Kach Mangi Phase III area of Ziarat last Tuesday, triggering hours-long gun battles that left nine police officers, including two station house officers, dead. The attackers also abducted several civilians and police personnel after the assault. The military subsequently launched a series of counterterrorism operations across Balochistan.

According to security sources, forces were targeting terrorists through air and ground operations, with effective action inflicting heavy losses on terrorist groups.

“Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps Balochistan and police continue their joint Operation Shaban in Balochistan, with security forces carrying out effective operations against Fitna al-Khawarij in the area,” a security source said.

Security sources said that since July 5, a total of 121 Kharjis had been killed in Operation Shaban and other intelligence-based operations (IBOs).

“Operation Shaban will continue in Balochistan until the last terrorist is eliminated,” security sources said.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised security forces for further successes during ongoing Operation Shaban in Balochistan and said the extraordinary successes in the joint operation by the Pakistan Army, FC Balochistan, and police were commendable.

Naqvi said, “The nation viewed with appreciation the security forces’ effective operations against the terrorists of Fitna Al-Hindustan”.

“The security forces thwarted the impure intentions of the terrorists of Fitna Al-Hindustan. In the timely operations of the security forces, four more terrorists were sent to hell,” he added.

“Joint operations of the forces will continue until the elimination of the terrorists. The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with its brave soldiers engaged in the fight against the scourge of terrorism,” Naqvi added.

UNSC confirms rise in TTP attacks from Afghanistan

Terrorism has significantly increased in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan, in recent days. The rise in terrorist activity has led to growing concerns over the security situation in these regions. In response, security forces have been conducting intensive operations to counter the threat, targeting terrorist groups.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in a report released in February also drew attention to a series of attacks by the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) against Pakistani security forces and projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“On September 16, 2025, the BLA ambushed a Pakistani military convoy patrolling the corridor, killing 32 troops. While counter-terrorism operations by Pakistan restricted the BLA’s operational space, it remained active.”

The report added that some member states reported that the BLA collaborated with the TTP and ISIL-K through shared training camps and resources, coordinating attacks and meetings between commanders. Some member states assessed that there was neither an association nor growing ties between the BLA and Al Qaeda or ISIL.

Read: Four more terrorists killed in operation Shabaan: security sources

It further highlighted that various groups in Afghanistan had acquired modern weapons and equipment through cross-border smuggling and black-market trade. “TTP used advanced assault rifles, night-vision devices, thermal-imaging devices, sniper systems and drone attack systems. Most of these were provided by the de facto authorities in conjunction with weapons permits and travel documents,” it said.

In August 2025, the UN’s 1988 Taliban sanctions committee monitoring team’s annual report said outlawed terrorist groups – BLA, including its Majeed Brigade, and TTP had “close coordination”.

The UNSC report said “some BLA attacks showed a high degree of complexity and brutality”, citing the hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan on March 11, 2025, which killed 31 people, including 21 hostages.