Twelve terrorists were killed and a 34-year-old army major embraced martyrdom in a 72-hour burst of security operations across five districts of Balochistan, according to two statements issued by the military’s media wing over the weekend. The operations, conducted between October 17 and October 19 in Quetta, Nushki, Khuzdar, Kalat and Gwadar, also led to the recovery of a large cache of weapons, ammunition and 490 kilogrammes of explosives.
A 72-Hour Trail Across Five Districts
The story of the weekend comes from two Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statements. The first, issued on Sunday, October 18, detailed three intelligence-based operations carried out on October 17 in Quetta, Nushki and Khuzdar districts, in which eight terrorists were killed. The second, issued on Monday, October 19, covered an intelligence-based operation in Kalat and a series of clearance operations in Gwadar that began a day earlier, accounting for four more terrorists killed and the martyrdom of Major Wajahat Waheed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast. Read together, the two statements trace a single continuous campaign rather than isolated incidents. Sanitisation operations were still under way in several of the areas when the second statement was issued.
Saturday: Eight Killed in Three Districts
On October 17, security forces acted on intelligence reports about hideouts of what the ISPR calls Fitna al Hindustan, the label the state gives to Balochistan-based militant groups it accuses of operating with Indian sponsorship. In the Panjpai area of Quetta district, troops intercepted what the ISPR described as an attempt to set up a roadblock and disrupt local traffic, killing five terrorists. During a sanitisation operation in Nushki district, forces raided a hideout and killed two terrorists after an intense exchange of fire, recovering weapons and ammunition. In Khuzdar district, another intelligence-based operation killed one terrorist and recovered 490 kilogrammes of explosives from a hideout. President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi both praised the security forces for the operations, with Naqvi saying the nation stood shoulder to shoulder with them in the effort to eliminate terrorism. The Khuzdar operation unfolded in the same district that made headlines this week for the Khuzdar 5.9 magnitude earthquake and its first confirmed death.
Sunday Night: Four Killed in Kalat, IED Blast in Gwadar
The second wave began on October 18. In the Jattakabad area of Kalat district, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation after intelligence agencies reported multiple hideouts of the same group, killing four terrorists in an intense exchange of fire and recovering a large cache of arms and ammunition. Separately, clearance operations began in the Shadi Kaur area of Pasni tehsil in Gwadar district, where the military said hideouts had been reported and the local population faced a threat. It was during one of these Gwadar operations that troops were targeted by an IED planted along their route.
The Officer Who Led From the Front
The IED blast in Shadi Kaur martyred Major Wajahat Waheed, 34, a resident of Lahore who was heading the lead force component of the operation. The ISPR said he made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty and embraced shahadat, noting that he was leading his troops from the front when the blast occurred. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over his martyrdom and paid tribute to the security personnel involved in the counterterrorism operations. The martyrdom came in a week when Pakistan’s western frontier also saw intense exchanges between security forces and militants during the Kurram border clashes and Pakistan-Afghanistan talks.
What Happens Next
The ISPR said sanitisation operations would continue in the Shadi Kaur area until all remaining terrorists were eliminated. The military’s media wing added that the relentless counterterrorism campaign under the vision of Azm-e-Istehkam, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, would continue at full pace to eliminate what it described as foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country. Developments from the operations are expected in the coming days; follow PakMirror’s National News section for continuing coverage.
