QUETTA: Security forces killed seven militants in separate incidents on Friday in Balochistan, while two soldiers were also martyred, the military’s media wing ISPR said.

In the first incident, security forces killed two militants after an early-morning attack on a Frontier Constabulary camp in the Muslim Bagh town in Qilla Saifullah district.

However, in a gunfight between the two sides that raged on late into the night, two soldiers were martyred and three others injured, the Inter-Services Public Relations said.

It said security forces had continued to “maintain pressure on the terrorists”.

An operation by the security forces was underway “to capture the terrorists who have been cornered into a building complex” while a heavy exchange of fire was also taking place, it said.

Commander of XII Corps Asif Ghafoor, the top army official in the province, “is supervising the security forces operations being conducted at Muslim Bagh area in Balochistan where terrorists have been cornered”, it said.

In the second incident, five militants were killed in a heavy exchange of fire with security forces during an operation in the Hoshab area of Kech district. Security forces also seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition.

The ISPR said in a statement late on Friday night that between the night of Thursday and Friday, the militants opened fire at a security checkpoint in Hoshab from a distance.

In a follow-up operation, the escaping terrorists were pursued into the nearby mountains of Balore using aerial surveillance. A heavy exchange of fire ensued, during which five militants were killed and a large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered, the ISPR said.

CM condemns attack

Balochistan’s chief minister, Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, condemned the attack on the FC camp and expressed grief over the martyrdom of two soldiers.

In a statement issued on Friday, he said FC soldiers had foiled the attack with bravery and inflicted heavy losses on the assailants. He said the nation was proud of its security forces, who were playing a key role in thwarting militant attacks.

Surge in terrorism

Over the past few months, the country’s security situation has worsened, with militant outfits executing attacks with near impunity.

Since the talks with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) broke down in November, the group has intensified its attacks, particularly targeting the police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 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 KP and Balochistan — a development that will likely exacerbate the already precarious security situation in the country.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2023