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QUETTA: Security forces killed four terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Panjgur district of Makran division, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.
In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the operation was conducted on Dec 26 on the reported presence of “khawarij belonging to Indian proxy, Fitna al Khawarij”, using a term used by the state to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The ISPR said troops “effectively engaged” the location and, after an intense exchange of fire, killed four terrorists.
It added that weapons, ammunition and explosives were recovered from the dead men, “who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area”.
A sanitisation operation was launched after the raid to eliminate any remaining terrorists, the ISPR said, adding that the counterterrorism campaign under “Azm-i-Istehkam”, approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan, would continue.
The bodies were shifted to the district hospital.
Local sources said two of the dead were identified as Abdul Mutlib alias Chief and Hakeem Yousaf, while the identities of the other two were not immediately confirmed. Officials said all four belonged to banned outfits.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the security forces for the operation. “We’ll foil the nefarious designs of terrorists, who are enemies of humanity,” he said, adding that the entire nation stood with the security forces in the fight against terrorism.
In a social media post, the state broadcaster quoted the prime minister as saying that the government was determined to eradicate all forms of terrorism from the country.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also lauded the operation, praising the professionalism of the personnel involved and vowing action against terrorists and their facilitators.
Khyber IED blast
At least eight security personnel were injured on Saturday when an improvised explosive device (IED) hit a security vehicle in Bara in Khyber district, police said.
They said the vehicle was targeted on the main Frontier Road near Naw Gazi Baba. The injured personnel were shifted to a hospital in Shah Kas, where they were stated to be out of danger.
Police said the device was planted in a motorcycle parked on the roadside and probe was under way. No statement had been issued by the military’s media wing until the filing of this report.
Terrorists’ bodies recovered
Police recovered the bodies of three terrorists in the Takhtikhel area of Lakki Marwat district on Saturday after resuming an overnight operation, officials said. One of the bodies was identified as that of a terrorist “commander”.
Police officials said six terrorists were killed and several others injured during an exchange of fire with police, backed by Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) commandos, armed villagers and members of peace committees on the night between Friday and Saturday.
District Police Officer (DPO) Nazir Khan confirmed that three bodies were recovered during a search operation on Saturday.
Officials identified the terrorist commander as Nusratullah alias Nusrat Wazir and termed his killing a major success in the joint action against the TTP. Officials said Nusratullah was wanted by the Bannu CTD in connection with 28 terrorism cases and that a Rs2.5 million bounty had been announced for him.
Police Constable Umar Jan and a civilian, Zahoor Ali of Takhtikhel, were also martyred during the operation after sustaining serious injuries, officials said.
A statement said funeral prayers for the constable were offered at Police Lines in the district headquarters complex Tajazai. Deputy Commissioner Hameedullah Khan, DPO Nazir Khan, other police officers and relatives attended.
Speaking on the occasion, the district police chief said those who lost their lives in the line of duty were “real heroes” and vowed that their sacrifices would not go in vain.
Meanwhile, police claimed they destroyed a terrorist stronghold, known locally as “Muhajir Camp”, during a sanitisation operation in Takhtikhel. Officials said the law enforcers also thwarted four quadcopter attacks using anti-drone technology.
Officials acknowledged the role of peace committee volunteers and local tribesmen in the operation, stressing that their support helped the police and CTD inflict heavy losses on the terrorists.
Behram Baloch in Gwadar and Ibrahim Shinwari in Khyber also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2025
