ISLAMABAD: Military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday that 2,084 “terrorists” and nearly 500 security personnel have been killed this year so far in militant violence, stressing that militancy in Balochistan was increasing as Pakistan has become more proactive in engaging militants.
Chaudhry was speaking during a televised press briefing on the security situation in Balochistan, where militants have increasingly attacked security forces and citizens in recent weeks. Earlier this week, unidentified armed men intercepted the vehicle of a senior police official in the province and abducted him and his gunman. Both were shot dead later.
A district and sessions judge was killed in Balochistan’s Mastung district earlier this month after his vehicle was ambushed by gunmen, while Pakistan police reported that six laborers were abducted and shot dead in Balochistan this week. Pakistan’s military further reported in early July that 38 security personnel and four civilians were killed in three major attacks in the restive province bordering Afghanistan and Iran.
Chaudhry told reporters that over 40,348 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) have been conducted in Balochistan this year. He said both intelligence agencies and Pakistani armed forces are conducting these IBOs, adding that more 31,000 of these operations have been conducted in Balochistan.
“During this period, 2,084 confirmed terrorists have been killed,” Chaudhry said. “This averages out to 10 terrorists being killed every day, which is the highest ratio ever.”
Separatist Baloch militant outfits, such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) have waged an insurgency against the state since decades. These militant groups accuse the military and federal government of denying locals a share in the mineral-rich resources of the province, a charge both deny.
Chaudhry said 819 Pakistanis have been killed in various “terrorist” incidents this year, with 303 of these are Pakistan Army soldiers while 194 were members of law enforcement agencies, including police and civilian security forces. The other 322 are civilians who were killed in militant violence, he said.
Chaudhry said 28 suicide bombing incidents have taken place in Pakistan this year, with the majority of the suicide bombers were found to be Afghan nationals.
Pakistan frequently blames Afghanistan for providing sanctuary to militants such as the Pakistani Taliban or TTP to carry out attacks against its citizens and law enforcers. It also accuses India of arming and training these militants. Both Kabul and New Delhi deny the allegations.
‘NO ROOM FOR NEGOTIATIONS’
Chaudhry said militant attacks were increasing in Balochistan as India had started investing “much more” in militant outfits based in the Pakistani province after it failed to achieve its military objectives in the 2025 confrontation between the two states.
He said militancy in the province was also increasing as the Afghan Taliban regime was supporting “terrorists.” He added that the Pakistani state was also operating with clarity against militants and were increasingly engaging them.
“These terrorists and their sponsors have come to understand that there is no longer any room for appeasement,” he said. “There is no longer any room for negotiations with them.”
Chaudhry said the growing number of attacks in Balochistan have understandably concerned the nature. However, he said the number of confrontations between security forces and militants have increased as Pakistani forces have become more “proactive.”
“As we conduct a greater number of intelligence-based operations, and more effective ones, there will be more engagements,” Chaudhry explained. “That is another reason why the number of incidents appears to increase.”
