Islamabad, July 15,2026: Security forces and law enforcement agencies killed three more militants during the ongoing Operation Shaban in Balochistan, taking the total number of militants killed in the operation to 88, state media reported on Wednesday.
According to media reports, a total of 126 militants have been killed in Operation Shaban and other intelligence-based operations carried out across the province since July 5.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praised the security forces for the latest successes, saying the ongoing campaign against militant elements was progressing effectively, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
Operation Shaban was launched following a deadly attack on a police post at the Mangi Dam pumping station in Ziarat, where armed assailants abducted and killed 27 police personnel. The joint operation involves the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and police.
PTV reported that security forces have intensified both air and ground operations as part of the continuing offensive aimed at eliminating militant hideouts.
Balochistan has witnessed a sharp rise in militant violence in recent months. According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), the province recorded 71 militant attacks in May, up from 34 in April, marking a 109 percent increase.
The security think tank also reported a surge in kidnappings, noting that 52 of the 54 abductions recorded nationwide during May occurred in Balochistan, highlighting the expanding operational capabilities of militant groups in the province.
Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan’s civil and military leadership had taken a unified decision to eradicate terrorism following a series of major attacks in Balochistan.
Speaking at a meeting of the Provincial Apex Committee on the National Action Plan in Quetta, attended by Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, the prime minister said the country’s leadership was determined to eliminate terrorism through a coordinated national effort.
His remarks came a day after Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry alleged that India and Afghanistan were behind recent attacks in Balochistan. He referred to three major incidents, including an attack near Quetta on July 5, the assault on the Ziarat police post on July 6 and an ambush on an army convoy in Bela on July 7.
Meanwhile, a sit-in in Ziarat against the killing of police personnel entered its sixth day on Tuesday, with the bodies of seven slain policemen still awaiting burial.
Talks between the provincial government and representatives of the protesters continued but ended without a breakthrough.
Provincial Home Minister Ziaullah Langove appealed to the families of the slain officers to bury their loved ones, stating that the government had accepted most of their demands, including the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the attack.
The protest has drawn relatives of the slain policemen, political leaders, civil society representatives and local residents, who continue to demand justice and decisive action against those responsible for the killings.
