RAWALPINDI: Security forces killed nine suspected militants in two intelligence-based operations in Balochistan, the military said, while a separate cross-border shelling incident in South Waziristan left one civilian dead and five others injured, intensifying security concerns along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, seven militants described as Indian-sponsored terrorists were killed during an operation in Kachhi district. Security forces raided a suspected militant hideout, triggering an intense exchange of fire that left all seven dead, the military’s media wing said.
In a separate operation in Wadh district, troops tracked and intercepted suspected militant movement. Two more militants were killed in an exchange of fire, the ISPR said.
Weapons and ammunition were recovered during both operations, while sanitization efforts were underway to locate any remaining militants in the affected areas.
The military said counterterrorism efforts would continue under the Azm-e-Istehkam initiative, approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan, to eliminate what it described as foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism.
Civilian killed in South Waziristan shelling
Separately, one civilian was killed and five members of a family were injured when shelling struck a residential area in Angoor Adda, Lower South Waziristan, on Tuesday night, according to security sources.
The sources said a shell hit a house near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, causing the casualties. They attributed the attack to the Afghan Taliban regime, although an independent confirmation of responsibility was not provided in the information available.
Pakistani forces responded to the incident by targeting and destroying several Afghan Taliban posts, security sources said.
The sources added that Pakistani troops deployed along the border remained on high alert and were prepared to respond to further aggression.
The incidents highlight continuing security challenges for Pakistan, with counterterrorism operations underway in Balochistan and renewed hostilities reported along the Afghan border.
