RAWALPINDI, JAN 31: At least 10 police and security personnel embraced martyrdom in Balochistan as India-sponsored terrorists launched attacks at 12 locations, with forces eliminating 58 militants, security sources said on Saturday.
The security forces are still pursuing terrorists at different locations, and there are reports of more deaths and losses of terrorists, the sources added.
They further noted that the attacks carried out by Fitna al-Hindustan (FAH) last night have been foiled via timely and effective action by the security forces and other law enforcement agencies (LEAs).
During the attacks, five members of a Baloch labour family, who hailed from Khuzdar, were also martyred in Gwadar.
Among those martyred in the family are a woman and three children.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while praising the security forces for foiling the terrorist attacks, paid homage to the 10 martyred personnel, saying the entire nation is proud of them.
“We will continue the fight against the menace of terrorism until it is completely eradicated,” the premier remarked.
He stressed that the entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan’s armed forces in their determination to protect the homeland.
While condemning the deadly attacks, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the security forces and LEAs for foiling the attacks.
“I salute the brave sons who thwarted the evil intentions of the terrorists,” he said.
Paying homage to the 10 martyrs who sacrificed their lives while foiling the attacks, the security czar said that the nation is proud of its brave sons, and the soldiers who sacrificed their lives are its heroes.
“The great sacrifices of the martyrs will always be remembered,” he added.
Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti that the attacks have been foiled via a joint effort by the police and FC and said: “These attacks cannot end our resolve against terrorism”.
The provincial chief executive also visited a blast site in Quetta and reviewed the security situation, and also met the paramilitary forces and police personnel.
CM Bugti was also briefed on the security situation by Inspector General Police (IGP) Muhammad Tahir.
“Anti-state elements will not be forgiven under any circumstances. There will be no compromise on peace in Balochistan,” the CM stressed while commending the police and the counter-terrorism department (CTD) for effective and timely action against the terrorists.
‘Desperate move’
Speaking to Geo News, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that the attacks were FAH’s “desperate move”.
“The security forces were alert at all locations and not taken by surprise […] and this is why such a large-scale attack was repelled,” he added.
Lamenting the martyrdoms of Baloch labour families at the hands of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) terrorists, the federal minister said that the terrorists are being pursued, coupled with aerial monitoring.
“The PM is fully aware of the situation and is in continuous contact [with relevant authorities],” he added.
The development comes a day after 41 Indian-backed militants were killed in two separate operations in Balochistan, the country’s largest province by land area.
Revealing details of the intelligence-based operations (IBO), the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday said that the engagements were carried out on January 29, where 30 India- sponsored terrorists were gunned down on the outskirts of Harnai district.
Meanwhile, 11 more were eliminated in Panjgur district.
Besides weapons and ammunition, looted money from the bank robbery in Panjgur on December 15 last year was also recovered from the killed terrorists, said the military’s media wing.
The anti-terror operations are to be taken against the backdrop of a rise in cross-border terrorist incidents since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021
ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, in his presser on January 6, said that law enforcement agencies carried out 75,175 IBOs across the country in 2025.
Giving a breakdown, he said 14,658 IBOs were conducted in KP, 58,778 in Balochistan, while 1,739 operations took place in the rest of the country.
The army’s top spokesperson said that 5,397 terrorism incidents were reported nationwide during the last year. Of these, 3,811 incidents, he said, occurred in KP, 1,557 in Balochistan, and 29 incidents were reported in other parts of the country.
He said that 2,597 terrorists were killed during counterterror operations last year. While providing details of 10 major terror attacks across the country, he said that civilians and soft targets had been deliberately targeted, and Afghan militants were involved in all attacks.
