Two terrorists were killed while as many soldiers were martyred on Friday in an attack by terrorists on a Frontier Constabulary (FC) camp in Balochistan’s Muslim Bagh town, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

In a press release, the ISPR said that a “group of terrorists attacked an FC camp in Muslim Bagh area in northern Balochistan”.

“In the process of clearance operation, two soldiers have embraced shahadat (martyrdom) while another three are injured,” it added.

“So far, two terrorists have been sent to hell by the security forces, who continue to maintain pressure on the terrorists.”

The statement said that an operation by the security forces was “under way to capture the terrorists who have been cornered into a building complex” while a heavy exchange of fire was also taking place.

The ISPR further said: “Commander 12 Corps is supervising the security forces operations being conducted at Muslim Bagh area in Balochistan where terrorists have been cornered.”

Surge in terrorism

Over the past few months, the law and order situation in the country has worsened, with terrorist groups executing attacks with near impunity across the country.

Since the talks with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke down in November last year, the outfit has intensified its attacks, particularly targeting the police in KP and areas bordering Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, experts at a discussion warned that the TTP was forging a nexus with Baloch separatists and local militant groups based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan — a development that will likely exacerbate the already precarious security situation in the country.

On April 1, four soldiers were martyred in a terrorist attack along the Pak-Iran border in the Jalgai sector of Balochistan’s Kech district.

On March 10, five terrorists were killed by security forces in intelligence-based operations (IBO) carried out in North and South Waziristan. On March 8, six terrorists were killed by security forces in an IBO in North Waziristan’s Datta Khel general area.

According to statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think-tank, January 2023 remained one of the deadliest months since July 2018, as 134 people lost their lives — a 139 per cent spike — and 254 received injuries in at least 44 militant attacks across the country.