At least five militants, including a key commander identified as Wazir, were killed during an intelligence-based operation in the Panjgur district of Balochistan, according to a report by Dawn citing state broadcaster Radio Pakistan. The security forces carried out the strike in the Sarkini and Chedgi areas as part of ongoing security sweeps under Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-3.
Security Forces Target Militant Cell in Panjgur
According to security sources cited by Dawn, the operation targeted individuals belonging to what the Pakistani military terms “Fitna al Hindustan”—a propaganda designation used by authorities to attribute internal revolts to neighbouring India. Alongside the casualties, security forces recovered four motorcycles, machine guns, heavy weapons, and ammunition from the slain individuals. Authorities noted that these specific outlaws were suspected of engaging in abduction, protection rackets, theft, and assaults directed at local businessmen and other inhabitants within Panjgur.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi lauded the security forces for the successful operation, as reported by Dawn citing the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). Naqvi credited the professionalism and operational capabilities of the personnel, stating that the strike disrupted the militants’ designs and dealt a major setback to their activities in the area.
Wider Security Context and Escalating Casualties in Balochistan
The Panjgur operation follows a separate series of engagements a day earlier, when security forces killed 15 militants in multiple intelligence-based operations across Balochistan. State media reported that those actions spanned Mastung, Bolan, Washuk, Awaran, Sibi, Khuzdar, Harnai, and Nushki under the umbrella of Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-3. These actions unfold against a backdrop of mounting security challenges across the province.
Data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies’ (PICSS) monthly assessment, released on July 31, indicates that Balochistan experienced its sharpest deterioration in security last month. The overall death toll in the province jumped 241% in July, rising from 109 in June to 372. Fatalities among security personnel rose 933%, climbing from 6 to 62, while militant deaths increased from 75 to 238. Civilian deaths rose 93% from 28 to 54, alongside the deaths of 18 members of peace committees.
Earlier last month, security forces and law enforcement jointly launched ‘Operation Shaban’ in Balochistan. The coordinated campaign followed a fatal July 6 raid on a law enforcement outpost situated at the Mangi Dam pumping station in Ziarat, an incident where gunmen abducted and murdered 27 police officers.
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