Rawalpindi, January 30,2026: Security forces killed 41 terrorists in intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted in Harnai and Panjgur districts of Balochistan on January 29, the military’s media wing said on Friday.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operations targeted militants belonging to Fitna-al-Khawarij and Fitna-al-Hindustan. The term Fitna-al-Khawarij is used by the state for terrorists linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), while Fitna-al-Hindustan refers to Balochistan-based militant groups, a designation highlighting India’s alleged involvement in terrorism and destabilisation efforts in Pakistan.
ISPR said an IBO was launched on the outskirts of Harnai district after reports of Fitna-al-Khawarij presence in the area. “During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the hideout, and after an intense fire exchange, 30 India-sponsored khawarij were sent to hell,” the statement said. A large cache of weapons, ammunition and explosives recovered from the terrorists was also destroyed.
In a separate operation in Panjgur district, security forces busted a terrorist hideout and neutralised 11 India-sponsored terrorists of Fitna-al-Hindustan, ISPR said. Weapons, ammunition and cash looted during a bank robbery in Panjgur on December 15, 2025, were recovered from the terrorists killed in the operation. ISPR added that the militants had been involved in several terrorist activities in the past.
“Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other India-sponsored terrorists found in the area,” the statement said, adding that Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue their “relentless counter-terrorism campaign” under the ‘Azm-i-Istehkam’ vision approved by the federal apex committee on the National Action Plan.
The latest operations come nearly two weeks after security forces killed 12 terrorists in Kharan district, foiling an attempt to create a hostage situation. ISPR had said that on January 15, 15 to 20 militants of Fitna-al-Hindustan attacked a city police station and two banks in Kharan, looting Rs3.4 million, before being repelled by security forces. Twelve terrorists were later killed during clearance operations.
More recently, on January 19, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) killed five suspected terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in the Dasht area of Mastung district, foiling an alleged plan to block the Quetta–Sibi Highway. The CTD said the suspects belonged to the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army.
Pakistan has faced persistent security challenges for decades. Despite record militant deaths, terrorist violence surged in 2025, with attacks rising by 34 per cent and terrorism-related fatalities increasing by 21 per cent year-on-year, according to a report by the Islamabad-based Pak Institute for Peace Studies.
