Pakistan vows to crush cross-border terrorism as 54 terrorists killed in Balochistan operations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Wednesday vowed to crush terrorism emanating from across Pakistan's borders with the "full might of the state," as the military said security forces had killed 54 terrorists during ongoing operations following coordinated attacks in Balochistan.

Addressing graduating officers of the National Security and War Course at the National Defence University (NDU) in Islamabad, the field marshal said Pakistan's armed forces remained fully aware of state-sponsored attempts by hostile intelligence agencies to destabilize the country through proxy networks.

“Terrorism emanating from across the borders will be crushed with full might of the state,” CDF Munir said.

“The Armed Forces, with the support of the nation, will ensure that terrorist sanctuaries of these proxies along with their facilitators are completely dismantled.”

CDF Munir's remarks came hours after Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said security forces had killed 54 terrorists in ongoing operations across the southwestern province of Balochistan following three coordinated terrorist attacks over the past four days.

The briefing came after attacks targeting civilians in Hanna Urak, a police checkpoint near Ziarat's Mangi Dam pumping station and an Army convoy in the Dela Bandar area. According to the military, the attacks martyred 42 civilians and security personnel, while subsequent counterterrorism operations have so far resulted in the killing of 54 terrorists across multiple engagements.

Speaking at a separate press briefing, Chaudhry said security forces, backed by law enforcement and intelligence agencies, were continuing operations against terrorist groups at multiple locations across the province.

“Army, Frontier Corps, law enforcement agencies, security forces and intelligence agencies are engaging them on the ground and from the air, and every one of them will be brought to the end they deserve,” Chaudhry said.

Chaudhry said the first attack occurred on the night of July 4-5, when terrorists belonging to what Pakistan refers to as Fitna al-Khawarij attacked civilians in the Hanna Urak area.

“The local people fought back on their own very valiantly and bravely, and they forced those terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al-Khawarij to flee from that area,” he said.

He added that four civilians were martyred and six others injured during the attack.

The military spokesperson said the second incident took place on July 6, when terrorists launched a “multi-directional attack” on a Balochistan Police checkpoint protecting infrastructure linked to the Mangi Dam water supply system in Ziarat district.

He said nine Balochistan Police personnel were martyred during the initial assault before reinforcements reached the area, adding that security forces later recovered the bodies of 15 terrorists during follow-up operations.

Chaudhry said operations remained underway in multiple areas of Balochistan and that additional terrorist casualties had been confirmed during continuing engagements.

Pakistani authorities officially use the term Fitna al-Khawarij to refer to the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), drawing on a historical Islamic reference to underscore the group's attacks on civilians, security forces and state institutions.

Addressing the broader security situation, Chaudhry said the recent attacks formed part of what he described as a coordinated campaign against Pakistan.

“India is orchestrating them,” he said.

“They are being carried out with the support of hostile forces aligned with India that cannot tolerate Pakistan's dignity, prosperity and stability.”

The military spokesperson also said terrorist groups were operating from Afghan territory.

“They are using territories under the control of this illegitimate Afghan Taliban regime as a base of operation,” he said.

He added that such attacks would not alter Pakistan's counterterrorism resolve.

“They think that by carrying out such acts, they can deter us,” Chaudhry said.

“I have said this before, and I will say it again: you can only deter someone who knows how to be deterred. There is no one in this world who can deter the State of Pakistan.”

In his address, CDF Munir said Pakistan's armed forces were recalibrating their employment and development strategies in line with the evolving character of warfare, while emphasizing strategic clarity and institutional professionalism in responding to conventional, hybrid and sub-conventional threats.

He said wars were “not won through media rhetoric or political sloganeering but through faith, unity and discipline,” expressing confidence in the professionalism, morale and operational readiness of Pakistan's armed forces.