Pakistan says 13 militants killed in ongoing security operation in Balochistan

Pakistani security forces have killed three more militants during an ongoing intelligence-based operation in the southwestern province of Balochistan, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

This brings the total number of insurgents killed to 13 since the operation began earlier this week, state media and the interior minister said on Saturday.

How many militants have been killed in Pakistan's Balochistan operation?

Security forces have killed 13 militants since Thursday in Operation Al-Azm, an intelligence-based operation underway in Balochistan.

Six insurgents were killed on Thursday, four on Friday, and three more in the latest phase reported on Saturday. The operation has also destroyed several militant hideouts and led to the recovery of weapons and bomb-making materials.

Where is the security operation taking place?

The operation is underway in the Khad Kocha area of Mastung district under an indefinite curfew. The curfew was imposed after gunmen attacked a passenger coach travelling from Quetta to Karachi on Wednesday, killing three people and wounding five others. State-run Radio Pakistan, citing security sources, said three militants were killed in the latest phase of the operation.

The government refers to militant groups as "Fitna al-Hindustan," a term it uses to underscore its assertion that India supports militant violence and instability in Pakistan.

What has Pakistan's interior minister said about the operation?

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised the security forces for what he described as a successful counterterrorism operation. He said they had demonstrated professionalism in pursuing militant groups operating in Balochistan.

Naqvi said security operations would continue until militant networks in the province were dismantled, according to a statement carried by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan.

What else happened during the Balochistan operation this week?

On Thursday, authorities said security forces had killed six militants and detained several suspects. Those detained included women allegedly linked to suicide bombing plots and others accused of facilitating the passenger coach attack. Several other militants were believed to have been wounded during the operation, according to state media.

The same day, armed men fatally shot District and Sessions Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar and his security guard while they were travelling to Mastung. Another judge and one other person were wounded in the attack.