ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces killed four terrorists affiliated with the India-backed group Fitna al-Hindustan during an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan’s Kalat District, the military said on Tuesday.
Fitna al-Hindustan is a term Islamabad uses for the banned Balochistan Liberation Army.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, the operation was conducted on the night of Nov. 1, following reports of the terrorists’ presence in the area.
Security forces engaged the terrorists’ location, killing all four and recovering weapons and ammunition. The slain terrorists were reportedly involved in multiple violent incidents and cross-border terrorist activities, the ISPR added.
Sanitization operations are ongoing to ensure no remaining terrorists are present in the area.
The ISPR said the operation is part of the ongoing counterterrorism campaign under Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, which aims at eliminating foreign-sponsored terrorism from Pakistan.
President Asif Ali Zardari paid tribute to the security forces, saying the nation stands firmly with the troops in their resolve to combat terrorism.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also lauded the officers and personnel involved, praising their professionalism and courage. He reaffirmed the government’s determination to continue the fight against terrorism until the menace is fully eradicated from the country.
