Pakistan says 75 militants killed in Balochistan since July 5 as operation continues

Pakistan's security forces have killed 75 militants in Balochistan since July 5, security sources said, as counterterrorism operations expanded following a deadly attack on a police station. The ongoing effort, Operation Shaaban, involves the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police conducting ground and air missions across the province's mountainous areas.

How many militants have been killed in Balochistan since July 5?

Security sources say 75 militants have been killed in Balochistan since July 5. Of these, 39 died during Operation Shaaban, launched after the Mangi Dam Police Station attack, while a separate operation in Khuzdar killed 13 more militants on Friday, including through helicopter strikes.

What is Operation Shaaban and how did it start?

Operation Shaaban began after militants attacked the Mangi Dam Police Station, prompting a joint response from the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police. Security sources said Friday that 39 militants have been killed in the operation so far. Of those, 26 were killed on Monday and Tuesday, and another 13 over the past 24 hours.

Security forces have tightened their cordon around the rugged, mountainous areas where the operation continues. Multiple ground and aerial missions are still underway against militants believed to be sheltering in the region.

What happened at the Khuzdar police station attack?

In a separate incident on Friday, security sources said forces repelled an attack on a police station in the Zehri area of Khuzdar district. Eight militants were killed in a swift response by Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps troops. Helicopter operations in the area killed another five to six militants, the sources added.

How many people have died in Balochistan's recent violence?

Pakistan's military said Wednesday that security forces killed 54 militants over the previous three days, while 42 people, including soldiers, police officers and civilians, were martyred in three separate militant attacks across the province. Military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the dead included 11 soldiers, 27 police officers and four civilians.

Chaudhry said militants launched a coordinated assault on a police checkpoint in Ziarat, killing nine officers on the first day, with another 18 officers killed in subsequent fighting. That raised the police death toll in the district to 27. He said security forces killed 15 militants in the initial phase of the operation, and efforts to clear remaining attackers were continuing.

What has Pakistan's military said about the crackdown?

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."

He repeated Pakistan's longstanding allegation that militants operate from Afghan territory under Taliban control, using it as a base to plan and launch attacks inside the country. "Our operations will continue until every terrorist and facilitator threatening Pakistan's security is brought to justice," Chaudhry said.

The operations come as Pakistan intensifies counterterrorism efforts across several regions, particularly along its western border, where militant attacks have increased. Authorities said the military, intelligence agencies and law enforcement are continuing coordinated ground and air operations against militant hideouts.