Four terrorists were killed by security forces during an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan‘s Kalat district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Tuesday.

In a statement, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that on January 12 (Monday) security forces conducted an IBO on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al Hindustan.

The state has designated Balochistan-based terrorist groups as Fitna al Hindustan to highlight India’s alleged role in terrorism and destabilisation across Pakistan.

During the operation, security forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, it said, adding that four terrorists were killed after an “intense fire exchange”.

“Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area,” the statement added.

It stated that sanitisation operations were being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored terrorists found in the area. It added that the counterterrorism campaign by security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the security forces on the operation.

In his statement posted by state broadcaster PTV on X, PM Shehbaz said security forces were achieving notable successes in their fight against terrorism under Azm-e-Istehkam.

“The whole nation stands with Pakistan’s armed forces in the fight against terrorism,“ he said, reaffirming Pakistan’s resolve to eliminate terrorism from the country.

Despite record militant deaths, Pakistan saw a sharp escalation in militant violence in 2025, with terrorist attacks rising by 34 per cent and terrorism-related fatalities increasing by 21 per cent year on year, according to a report released by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies.

In a press conference last week, the Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry shared that law enforcement agencies of Pakistan — including the army, police, Federal Constabulary, and intelligence agencies — conducted a total of 75,175 IBOs in 2025.

Breaking it down, he said 14,658 operations were conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 58,778 in Balochistan, and 1,739 in other regions of Pakistan.

He added that 5,397 terror incidents took place in Pakistan in 2025, of which 3,811 were reported from KP (71pc), 1,557 from Balochistan (29pc), and 29 from other areas.