Pakistan says 54 militants killed, 42 security personnel and civilians martyred in Balochistan

Pakistan's military said Wednesday that security forces killed 54 militants in Balochistan over the past three days, while 42 people, including soldiers, police officers and civilians, were martyred in three separate attacks. Military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry announced the toll at a news conference, saying ground and aerial operations against militants were continuing across the southwestern province.

How many people were killed in the Balochistan attacks?

Security forces killed 54 militants in Balochistan over three days, while 42 people were martyred, including 11 soldiers, 27 police personnel and four civilians. Chaudhry said the toll came from three separate militant attacks and the retaliatory operations that followed, with fighting concentrated in Ziarat district and the surrounding areas.

What happened in the Ziarat district attack?

Chaudhry said militants launched a coordinated assault on a police checkpost in Ziarat, killing nine officers on the first day of the attack. He said 18 more police personnel were killed there in the days that followed, raising the district's police death toll to 27. Security forces killed 15 militants during the initial phase of the Ziarat operation, and Chaudhry said operations against the remaining attackers were still underway.

Who does Pakistan blame for the violence?

Chaudhry described the recent surge in violence as part of a broader campaign to undermine Pakistan's peace, stability and economic development. He alleged that hostile elements were backing militant groups to destabilize the country. Pakistani authorities refer to militants belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan as "Fitna al-Khwarij."

Is Afghanistan linked to the attacks?

Chaudhry repeated Pakistan's longstanding accusation that militants operate from Afghan territory, using areas under Taliban administration control as safe havens to plan and launch attacks inside Pakistan. He said security forces had achieved significant operational gains and that most militants encountered in recent operations had been killed. "Our operations will continue until every terrorist and facilitator threatening Pakistan's security is brought to justice," Chaudhry said.

The military's statement comes as Pakistan intensifies counterterrorism operations in several parts of the country, particularly in areas along its western border that have experienced a rise in militant violence. Law enforcement agencies, intelligence services and the military are continuing to work together, using ground forces and air assets to target militant hideouts.