Pak forces kill 22 more terrorists in Balochistan

Pakistani security forces have killed 22 more terrorists, raising the death toll of militants to 177 in the last two days in Balochistan after coordinated terror attacks at multiple places in the restive southwestern province, security officials said on Monday. The counter terror operation was launched after militants belonging to ethnic Baloch groups carried out multiple attacks at several locations on Saturday. “Since Sunday night, security forces have killed 22 more terrorists,” Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the provincial Government, said on Monday.

He said that 167 bodies have been sent to hospitals so far for future processing and identification. He added that 177 militants have been killed in the last two days. Rind said most of the terrorists killed belonged to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and had support from other insurgent groups. “These terrorists have been killed over a period of over two days during the attacks or when security forces chased them and started clean-up operations,” he added. On Sunday, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti had said that 145 terrorists had been killed.

On Friday, the military said that security forces killed 41 terrorists on Thursday in the Panggur and Shaban areas of the province. The military and the state have designated these terrorists belonging to insurgent groups or the Tehreek-e-Taliban as “Fitna-al-Hindustan”, a term the Government uses claiming that the militants allegedly receive support from Indian intelligence agencies.

Due to the clean-up operations underway at different locations, mobile or internet services since were suspended in Quetta, Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan and other cities on Saturday. Balochistan’s Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Hamza Shafqaat told the media that the services would resume on Tuesday. The terrorists, including two female suicide bombers, attacked multiple security and Government installations at 12 different

towns and cities in the province last week. So far, authorities have confirmed the death of at least 17 personnel of police, frontier corps and security forces. Eighteen civilians, including three women and two children, were killed in Gwadar. Security forces engaged the terrorists in gun battles across the province. Sarfraz Bugti on Sunday expressed firm resolve to eliminate the insurgent groups unless they surrendered and laid down their weapons.

Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have previously carried out several attacks targeting the $60 billion CPEC projects.In 2025, the BLA claimed responsibility for the March hijacking of the Jaffar Express train travelling from Quetta to Peshawar, killing 31 civilians and security personnel and holding hostage over 300 passengers.

Combat-related deaths in Pakistan rose by 43 per cent in January 2026: Think tank

Peshawar:  Pakistan recorded a 43 per cent rise in combat-related deaths in January 2026 compared to the previous month, as the country witnessed a renewed surge in anti-state violence, according to data released by a think tank on Monday. A total of 361 people were killed across the country in January, including 242 militants, 73 civilians and 46 security force personnel, data released by the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) said.

At least 135 people were injured, among them 71 were civilians, 52 security personnel and 12 militants. After a decline in violence in December 2025, the first month of the new year witnessed a renewed surge in anti-state violence, leading to higher fatalities among militants, civilians and security personnel. PICSS reported that January saw 87 militant attacks nationwide, marking a 28 per cent increase from the 68 attacks recorded in December 2025. 

Of these, 38 attacks took place in mainland Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 20 in the province’s tribal districts, 27 in Balochistan and two in the Punjab province.  Balochistan emerged as the primary theatre of militant activity as well as security operations. The province reported the highest monthly militant toll since the current wave of militancy began there in 2001. Although Balochistan experienced relative calm for much of the month, violence escalated sharply in the final two days.

Simultaneous attacks by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) on at least 12 locations, followed by intensified security force operations, brought the province into sharp focus. In January, three suicide attacks were recorded, of which two took place in Balochistan and were claimed by the BLA. At least 172 militants were killed in the province, most of them during the final two days of January, according to PICSS. Compared to the previous month, civilian deaths increased by 143 per cent, militant deaths by 35 per cent and security force fatalities by seven per cent. 

Security forces arrested at least 60 suspected militants during the month, while militant groups kidnapped eight individuals. The Punjab province reported two militant attacks; however, security forces carried out a coordinated crackdown across central Punjab, including in Lahore, Sahiwal, Pakpattan and Mianwali. At least 53 suspected militants were arrested, 48 of them from Lahore.  According to analysts, these arrests likely disrupted a major militant buildup aimed at targeting the city.