Rawalpindi, October 19,2026: An army major was martyred and four terrorists were killed during intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in Balochistan, the military’s media wing said on Monday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces conducted operations in the areas of Jattakabad in Kalat district and Shadi Kaur and Pasni in Gwadar district following reports of terrorist hideouts linked to what the state designates as Fitna al Hindustan.
In the first operation, conducted on October 18 in the general area of Jattakabad, security forces killed four terrorists and recovered a large cache of weapons and ammunition, the ISPR said.
In a separate operation, security forces carried out clearance operations in the Shadi Kaur area of Pasni, Gwadar, where an improvised explosive device (IED) attack martyred Major Wajahat Waheed, 34, a resident of Lahore, who was leading the operation.
The military said sanitisation operations would continue to eliminate any remaining terrorists in the area.
“The relentless counterterrorism campaign under the vision of ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’, as approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, will continue at full pace,” the ISPR said.
It added that security forces and law enforcement agencies remained committed to eliminating foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.
President, prime minister pay tribute to martyred officer
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately commended security forces for the operations and paid tribute to Major Wajahat Waheed, expressing condolences to his family.
In a statement posted on X, President Zardari reaffirmed the resolve to thwart conspiracies by the terrorists’ foreign patrons and their local facilitators.
Prime Minister Shehbaz reiterated the government’s determination to continue the fight against foreign-sponsored terrorism until its complete eradication, according to state media.
Balochistan has witnessed an increase in terrorist activities in recent years, prompting security forces to intensify intelligence-based operations across the province.
A day earlier, security forces killed eight terrorists described by the military as India-sponsored during operations in Quetta, Nushki and Khuzdar districts.
On the night of October 12–13, security forces also raided a terrorist hideout in Washuk district and killed five terrorists, according to the ISPR.
In subsequent operations across the province, Balochistan government officials reported the arrest of six terrorists affiliated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), two would-be female suicide bombers and two commanders of a banned organisation.
Officials said around 90 arrested terrorists were being held at a centre where investigations and legal proceedings were under way.
Earlier this month, five terrorists were killed in Balochistan’s Mastung district, state media reported.
According to data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), terrorist attacks in Balochistan increased by seven per cent, from 83 in July to 89 in August.
The report identified Balochistan as the province most affected by terrorism during the period under review.
