News DeskÂ
​QUETTA: In a detailed press briefing on Wednesday, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that 42 lives—including 27 local police officers, 11 military personnel, and four civilians—were lost in a series of highly coordinated terrorist attacks across Balochistan over the last four days.
​Responding with decisive force, Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) neutralized at least 54 militants in intense ground and aerial counter-operations. The military spokesperson specified that the attackers belonged to outlawed outfits, including the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)—officially termed Fitna al-Khawarij (FAK)—and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), referred to as Fitna al-Hindustan (FAH).
​The Ziarat Mangi Dam Ambush and Hostage Crisis
​The most critical and prolonged engagement occurred in the rugged terrains of the Ziarat district, targeting a police checkpost securing Pumping Station No. 3 of the Mangi Dam.
​Militants launched a massive, multidirectional assault late Monday night. Local police officers stood their ground firmly, killing 15 attackers in the initial clash. However, nine policemen, including two Station House Officers (SHOs), embraced martyrdom in the opening fight.
​Before military reinforcements and Frontier Corps (FC) units could reach the remote site due to the challenging topography, retreating terrorists took the remaining police personnel hostage and dragged them into the nearby mountains.
​Why Aerial Assets Were Not Used
​To prevent collateral damage and ensure the safety of the captured personnel, the military refrained from deploying air strikes, opting instead for a cautious, high-stakes ground operation to encircle the militants.
​”We were very careful because of the collateral damage not to use any aerial assets because they had taken our youth hostage,” Lt Gen Chaudhry explained.
​As the security dragnet tightened completely around the hideout, the cornered militants executed the 18 captured local police personnel. An ongoing clearance operation in the Ziarat mountains has since eliminated 11 more terrorists, bringing the total number of martyred police officers in this sector to 27, while 26 terrorists were killed.
​Hanna Urak Local Population Repels Attack
​The wave of violence began on July 4–5 in the Hanna Urak area near Quetta. Armed FAK militants targeted the local civilian population. Local residents showed immense bravery, fighting back alongside security forces to force the attackers to retreat.
​Four civilians lost their lives and six others were wounded during the exchange of fire. The ISPR chief lauded the local community’s resilience against the proxies.
​BLA Highway Attack Near Bela and Winder
​The third major incident involved a direct ambush on a military convoy along the strategic N-25 highway in the Bela and Winder areas.
​Militants belonging to the banned BLA (Fitna al-Hindustan) targeted the convoy, triggering a fierce gunfight. Eleven army personnel—consisting of one Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and 10 soldiers (jawaans)—lost their lives while defending the convoy. Security forces retaliated heavily, killing 14 BLA terrorists on the spot.
​Intelligence-Based Operations in Kharan and Dalbandin
​In addition to defensive engagements, security forces carried out proactive, intelligence-led raids on active terror cells in western Balochistan:
​Kharan: 6 terrorists neutralized.
​Dalbandin: 8 terrorists neutralized.
​All 14 militants killed in these specific operations were confirmed affiliates of the FAH network.
​Security Forces Vow Total Elimination
​The ISPR chief emphasized that the security situation in the province remains dynamic, with active intelligence and tactical clearing operations continuing across multiple coordinates in Balochistan using both ground forces and air support.
​Paying rich tribute to the fallen, Lt Gen Chaudhry stated that 42 precious lives were sacrificed while protecting the country, reiterating the military’s absolute resolve to eliminate the remaining facilitators and perpetrators behind these coordinated assaults
