The Pakistani army says it has killed “50 militants” in three separate operations over a four-day period as part of a major operation to eliminate the threat posed by groups in the mineral-rich province of Balochistan.
The army said “three militants” were killed on Monday night in the Sambaza area of Zhob district along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border while earlier, the army’s media wing said forces had killed “33 militants” on Friday and “14 militants” on Saturday in the same district.
The security forces added that they remain committed to securing the nation’s frontiers and thwarting attempts at sabotaging peace, stability and progress in Pakistan.
Attacks on security forces and civilians have increased in Balochistan and the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in recent months, most of them claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a conglomerate of various groups, and the out-lawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
Islamabad accuses Kabul of failing to prevent militants from carrying out attacks in Pakistan and then seeking refuge inside the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
The IEA denies the claims and reaffirms its commitment to not allowing cross-border operations. Despite a name similarity, the TTP are a totally separate group from the Afghan Taliban which rules in the Islamic Emirate.
On Monday, the U.S. State Department designated BLA and its armed wing, the Majeed Brigade, as terrorist organisations, accusing them of carrying out multiple deadly attacks in recent years.
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Upsurge in militant attacks
According to Islamabad-based think tank, the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, 82 militant attacks and dozens of security operations took place across the country in July, resulting in 215 fatalities, including 37 security personnel, 124 militants, and 54 civilians.
Additionally, 199 people were injured, including 107 civilians, 56 security personnel, and 35 militants.
Islamabad has suspended mobile internet services in Balochistan, for at least three weeks, amid the security operation against militants in the region.
The Balochistan provincial government had asked the federal government to suspend the mobile internet services with immediate effect in the province until 31 August “due to a law and order situation.”
Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind confirmed to Anadolu that the request was sent by the provincial government to the federal interior ministry.
According to locals, the mobile internet service was not available in different areas of the province.
The Pakistani army said Wednesday that at least three security personnel including an officer were killed in an improvised explosive device blast in Mastung district of Balochistan when militants targeted their vehicle. Later, four militants were killed during subsequent operations.
Last month, unknown gunmen abducted nine passengers from a bus in the Sur-Dakai area on the border between Balochistan’s Zhob and Loralai districts and later killed them.
Mineral-rich Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest but poorest province with under-developed education and healthcare facilities.
Security forces have long faced a low-intensity rebellion from Baloch separatists, who claim the province has been denied its share of development funds.
The province is also a key route for the $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, which aims to connect China’s strategically important northwestern Xinjiang province with Balochistan’s Gwadar port via a network of roads, railways and pipelines for cargo, oil and gas transportation.
The U.S. proscribes BLA
Following the Pakistan Army Chief’s visit to Washington, the U.S. State Department on Monday designated Pakistan’s Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its armed wing, the Majeed Brigade, as terrorist organisations, accusing them of carrying out multiple deadly attacks in recent years.
The State Department said the group has claimed responsibility for suicide bombings near Karachi airport and the Gwadar Port Authority Complex in 2024 and the March 2025 seizure of the Jaffar Express train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, killing 31 civilians and security personnel and holding more than 300 passengers hostage.
“Today’s action taken by the Department of State demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to countering terrorism.
“Terrorist designations play a critical role in our fight against this scourge and are an effective way to curtail support for terrorist activities,” the State Department said.
Terrorist designations by the State Department also mean that the BLA and anyone affiliated with it are subject to sanctions that deny them access to the U.S. financial system.
The BLA was first designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. in 2019 and is also banned in Pakistan and the UK. Islamabad accuses India of patronising the group, a charge New Delhi denies.
